On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The NHL announced its 2023-24 finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy : Auston Matthews, Elias Pettersson, and Jaccob Slavin. The “player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,” is who the award will be granted to.
Auston Matthews, Elias Pettersson and Jaccob Slavin are the three finalists for the 2023-24 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. #NHLAwardshttps://t.co/UiSUGXoicN pic.twitter.com/s9c1wLg8Qc
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 4, 2024
The Lady Byng Trophy isn’t necessarily the most notable of the NHL awards, but it is important. Hall of Fame players such as Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, and Marcel Dionne found themselves winning it multiple times. Let’s take a look at our contestants this time around.
Auston Matthews
Since he entered the league in 2016-17, Matthews has always been in contention for this award. In eight NHL seasons, this is now his third time being a finalist – he hasn’t won it yet. He has never gone a campaign without at least getting a few votes, which speaks to his consistency as a player with great sportsmanship.
In 2023-24, Matthews scored a whopping 69 goals, a mark that was last reached in 1995-96 by Mario Lemieux. No player has hit 70 since 1992-93. Finishing with 108 points, it is clear that the centerman is one of the best athletes in the entire NHL.
Among the 130 skaters with at least 1,500 minutes of total ice time in 2023-24, Matthews was tied for the fifth-least total penalties taken at six. Drawing 18 of them, that’s a pretty solid differential. The Toronto Maple Leafs are definitely lucky to have him, and he has a real shot at winning the award.
Elias Pettersson
Pettersson, the top-line center for the Vancouver Canucks, also had a great campaign. Scoring 34 goals and 55 assists for 89 points, he was arguably the best forward on a team that finished sixth in the NHL standings. He did so with class, too.
WHO ELSE BUT ELIAS PETTERSSON
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 11, 2024pic.twitter.com/B1kKLocGwG
This isn’t Pettersson’s first rodeo in Lady Byng Trophy territory, accumulating at least some votes in all but one season where he only played in 26 contests. It’s his first time being a finalist, though, and that is largely due to the fact that he stayed out of penalty trouble throughout the season.
Just like Matthews, Pettersson only took six total penalties in over 1,500 minutes of ice time, making him one of the most well-disciplined players in the NHL. He drew 28 penalties, giving him an elite differential of 22 more infractions drawn than taken. It takes a true star to be able to do this.
Jaccob Slavin
Finally, Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes will try to win the second Lady Byng Trophy of his career. The defenseman did so back in 2020-21, finishing as a finalist with Matthews.
In nine NHL seasons, this will be Slavin’s eighth time getting at least a vote for the award. He hasn’t finished outside the top four vote-receivers for the Lady Byng Trophy since 2018-19, so he is definitely a strong contender.
In 81 contests, Slavin scored six goals and 31 assists for the second-best point total of his career with 37. He blocked 120 shots and registered 55 hits, too.
No NHL player with 1,500 minutes of ice time finished with as many or fewer penalties taken than Slavin did, ending up with just four. Considering his role as a shutdown defenseman, his discipline is pretty impressive. Since entering the league in 2015-16, Slavin has only taken 43 total penalties in 665 regular season games, with none of them being majors. He has been one of the most consistently well-behaved players in the NHL for quite some time now.
More must-reads:
- NHL players who will send their GM a 'thank you' card next summer
- Braves to place star player on 10-day IL
- The 'NFL stadium names' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
WJSS: Michael Hage shines with Canada
Michael Hage was not invited to represent Canada at the World Junior Championships last year. Should he have been invited? Probably, considering the team’s disappointing quarter-final loss to the Czech Republic. The fact that he plays in the NCAA didn’t help either, but barring a huge surprise, Hockey Canada shouldn’t overlook him this year. He’s taking part in the Summer Showcase, which is good news in itself, but he also has an important role in Team Canada-Rouge. Today, his team played its first game of the summer mini-tournament against the other Canadian team, Canada-White. He didn’t miss a beat with a goal and an assist. Used in a second line with Cole Rechny and Benjamin Kindel, he first grabbed a rebound in the slot before scoring. Then, he served a superb pass to Marek Vanacker. [content-ads] If he breaks into the lineup, I can’t wait to see what role we’ll give him. Being a 2nd line center is an achievable goal with the talent Canada is going to have. In the meantime, it’s off to the University of Michigan for him to play his second season. After an excellent first year, it’ll be interesting to see how far he can take his team, who disappointed at the end of 2025. It should be Habs direction next, as he’s projected as the team’s future 2nd center. [spacer title=’En rafale’] – A good game from CF Montreal. – It’s pretty amazing to see him go. – Embarrassing situation for the tournament.
NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.
'He Should Get One': Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Clamors For A New Contract For Key Piece In Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the more bizarre teams heading into the 2025 NFL season. The team has a ton of new pieces, so it is hard to determine just how well it will perform. On paper, the team should be one of the better groups in the AFC, but it will be interesting to watch how everyone ingratiates themselves into the organization, and whether or not the execution is where it needs to be. Regardless of what happens, there are a ton of reasons for excitement in Pittsburgh. The main reason for excitement in Pittsburgh is the new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. There are some other important pieces as well, including DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey. Jonnu Smith is also a new factor on the offense that could play a key role. Former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was discussing all of the reasons to be excited about the Steelers on the most recent episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger. He mentioned the new additions, but he also spoke about the overshadowed special teams unit, including Chris Boswell. "I'd say the best kicker in the game, [Chris] Boswell," Roethlisberger said. "Special teams, that gets overlooked so much. You know, we talk about offense, defense, talk about Aaron, talk about TJ [Watt], we talk about all this stuff. What about the best kicker in the game? I know he's not up for a new contract, he should get one. They should actually probably make him the highest-paid kicker if he's not already. So, Omar [Khan], the Khan-Man, should get that done." Boswell signed his most recent extension with the Steelers back ahead of the 2022 season. He signed a four-year deal worth $20 million that runs through the 2026 season. He could be extended now, but Pittsburgh usually waits until before the final year of the contract to get a new extension done. He has been one of the best kickers in the league since joining the Steelers back in 2015, and Roethlisberger thinks he has earned a new deal. In terms of average annual value, Boswell is currently the NFL's 11th highest-paid kicker. He is one of the most efficient and reliable players at the position in the league, and Roethlisberger believes he needs to be at the top of that list. A new contract would likely result in the kicker becoming the highest-paid in the NFL, as he deserves it based on nearly every metric. Boswell led the NFL in field goals made during the 2024 season, and he went 13 of 15 from past 50 yards. His accuracy is unmatched, and he is coming off of his first All-Pro season in 2024. He was often overshadowed in the AFC due to Justin Tucker, but Tucker's career has seemed to fall apart after some off the field issues came to light during the 2025 offseason. Tucker also had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2024, which allowed Boswell to take the title of being the best kicker in the league. Steelers' Chris Boswell Is Searching For More Playoff Success When fans talk about the longest-tenured players on the Steelers, the first name that is always mentioned is Cam Heyward. Rightfully so, but Boswell has also been around Pittsburgh for a long time. He joined the team during the 2015 season, and he immediately solidified himself as the organization's kicker. There have been multiple instances where Pittsburgh has won contests with the only scoring coming from the leg of Boswell, but hopefully the offense can take a step forward in 2025 to take some pressure off of the kicker. Boswell has won in the playoffs with Pittsburgh before, and he is trying to get back to that point in 2025. Would you like to see Boswell get a new deal?
Raiders' Pete Carroll has cryptic comments on bizarre Christian Wilkins situation
There have been a couple of different theories floated about why the Las Vegas Raiders made the shocking decision to cut star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, but head coach Pete Carroll has no interest in sharing the real motive. The Raiders released Wilkins on Thursday, which was barely a year after they signed him to a four-year, $110M contract in free agency. Initial reports suggested Wilkins and the team were at odds over how the 29-year-old's foot injury was being handled, but the story has since taken a bizarre turn. ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Monday that there was an incident between Wilkins and a teammate in the locker room that Wilkins viewed as playful, but his teammate did not take it that way. Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported that the incident took place in a meeting room at the Raiders' facility last week and was investigated by the team's human resources department. On Tuesday, a reporter asked Carroll about the alleged incident. The 73-year-old coach refused to get into it. "I have no comment to make,” Carroll said, via The Athletic. “We made a decision on what we’re doing, and we’re moving with it. We’ll see how that all unveils itself in time.” The last part of Carroll's comment is interesting. Carroll may have been saying time will tell how the decision to cut Wilkins will turn out for the Raiders, or he may have been insinuating that more information will come out at some point. Raiders defensive tackle Adam Nelson was also asked about Wilkins on Tuesday. Nelson responded by encouraging people to seek therapy if they are struggling with something in their life. Wilkins had 17 total tackles and a pair of sacks in five games with the Raiders before he suffered his season-ending foot injury.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
