The finalists for the NHL’s GM of the Year Award were announced Wednesday evening, and the results aren’t too surprising.
Vegas Golden Knights‘ George McPhee, Winnipeg Jets‘ Kevin Cheveldayoff and Tampa Bay Lightning‘s Steve Yzerman were all named finalists for the award, determined by their peers as well as a small group of NHL executives and media members.
All three are still in contention for the Stanley Cup, too, as the Conference Finals continue.
Cheveldayoff has patiently built a contender in Winnipeg, with the Jets finally emerging as a true Cup threat in his seventh year at the helm. This is his first time as a finalist for the award.
McPhee, meanwhile, has been the mastermind behind the Golden Knights’ incredible inaugural season. The former Washington Capitals GM brought a winning team to Vegas, building an immediate contender through last June’s expansion draft. He has been nominated for this award once before, in 2009-10 while with Washington.
Steve Yzerman is no stranger to the award, winning GM of the Year in 2015 and finishing second in voting back in 2010-11. This year’s Tampa team set franchise records for wins (54) and points (113) while winning its first division title since 2004. The longtime Lightning GM has his club competing in the Conference Final for the third time in four seasons and is still in the hunt for the Cup this year thanks to another series of big deadline trades.
The winner will be announced during the 2018 NHL Awards on June 20.
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