FanHouse NHL Awards

While the NHL tried its very best to put on a glitzy, Hollywood-style awards show last night, there were more than a few things that went wrong for the little hockey league that could.

Viewers in the USA may have turned to VERSUS and found themselves watching programming that was anything but an awards show. It turns out there was a fiery reason why ...

A CBC broadcast truck almost caught fire during the network's telecast of the NHL Awards show from the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto.

Technical problems resulted, the worst of which affected Versus in the United States. The overheated CBC truck caused transmission difficulties forcing the U.S. cable channel to cancel its live telecast. Instead, it aired a World Combat League show and carried a tape delay of the NHL show at 11 p.m. EDT.

The CBC had its own problems. Its red carpet interviews were interrupted by a sudden glitch that imposed a newscast from another region onto the telecast.

The technical glitches aside, there were some others issues with the show that need to be addressed.

Get a real host! Ron MacLean is a great studio host for hockey games, but not a great host for a nationally televised awards show. There are plenty of good comedians that would have loved to do the job. With all the revenue the NHL is raking in, couldn't they have sprung some dough for Dennis Leary? Andrew Dice Clay? Mike Myers?

The red carpet: A good idea in practice, but bad in execution. We get a load of Canadian 'celebrities' answering dull questions. Why not grill Martin Brodeur about the blonde chick he was seen with last night? Ask Sidney Crosby what brand of lipstick he wears? C'mon ... throw me a frickin bone, here!

How about some loud music for when certain people talk too much? Gordie Howe, as awesome as he may have been, put half the viewing public asleep with his rambling on and on and on. A blast from a trumpet would have woken the audience up and told the old fart to get 'er done!

The writers need to lay off the drugs, homerism, and booze. How else can you explain Rod Brind'Amour winning the Selke instead of Pahlsson?

For more, check out Mirtle's live blog from the gala.

With the NHL Awards finalists announced this morning, we see that Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo, as expected, are facing off for both the Vezina and Hart trophies.

What are the chances of these two fellows to win one of both of these awards?

Vezina (Top goaltender) – Unlike the MVP, this one is voted on by the GMs, who love shiny wins and shutouts. This is a two-horse race and we all know Kiprusoff and Lundqvist tied for 3rd..

In a previous entry on this award, it seemed that Brodeur was the likely winner:

Martin Brodeur does have the wins record*, more games played, 12 shutouts, and the slight edge overall when you compare the stats. Unlike past seasons, where Brodeur benefited greatly from a strong team in front of him, racking up wins despite less-than-stellar save percentages, Marty has obviously been the best player on his team, and has had his best season ever. When the Devils needed him the most, Brodeur was there.

Hart (MVP) – Given to the player 'most valuable to his team'. This award is open to a lot of subjectivity when you throw that phrase into the mix. Rather than simply voting for the best player in the league, many writers will attempt to pick the guy they think carried a team to bigger and better heights compared to their peers.

Brodeur? The Devils have had a long run of success. Even with Brodeur being the true key to the Devils this season, he doesn't quite have the savior aura that Luongo has.

Luongo came to a Vancouver team that missed the playoffs, traded away an offensive 'star', and sucked offensively. He was the BIG reason they made the playoffs and had such a successful year, and the media have gobbled it up.

Now, there is that wonderful Sidney Crosby in the mix, and he's a legitimate winner in his own right. I'm thinking this will be a very tight race between Crosby and Luongo.

When all is said and done, I'd bet on Brodeur to take home at least one award. Luongo? He might get shut out, to use a bad goaltender pun.