The NHL announced the three finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy on Friday.
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar and Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point are this season’s finalists for the award, which goes to the player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association vote on the award at the end of the regular season.
Each finalist ranked among the NHL’s top four scorers who recorded fewer than 10 penalty minutes during the regular season. Eichel ranked first with 94 points, while Point’s 82 points and Kopitar’s 67 points ranked third and fourth, respectively. Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had 89 points and eight penalty minutes.
Eichel had four minor penalties while setting a career high in assists (66) and points (94). Since 2000-01, only three players – Jack Hughes, Barkov and Point – recorded more points without hitting double digits in penalty minutes in a season.
This is the first time the 28-year-old is a finalist for an NHL award, and he could be the second player in Golden Knights history to win the Lady Byng Trophy, after William Karlsson did so in 2017-18.
Kopitar won the Lady Byng twice, in 2015-16 and 2022-23. Only Pavel Datsyuk and Martin St-Louis won the trophy more times in this century.
The 37-year-old averaged 18:57 of ice time while recording just four penalty minutes on the Kings. Those are the fewest penalty minutes for any player who played at least 55 games this season, and Kopitar played 81, getting 21 goals and 46 assists for 67 points.
Point only took two penalties this season: a major for fighting Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Bobby McMann on April 9 and a tripping penalty against the Leafs on Nov. 30.
This season is just the second time Point has had fewer than 10 penalty minutes, with the other coming in 2022-23. He had 95 points in 82 games that season and finished third in Lady Byng voting.
Of the top 50 scorers this season, Point had the fewest penalty minutes.
The NHL also announced the finalists for the Masterton Trophy, Selke Trophy and Jack Adams Award on Friday.
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