KANE, OVECHKIN, ANDERSEN AND GIBSON
CAPTURE 2015-16 REGULAR-SEASON TROPHIES
The 2015-16 National Hockey League regular season concluded on Sunday with Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane capturing his first career Art Ross Trophy as the League’s scoring champion, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin claiming his sixth career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s goal-scoring leader and the Anaheim Ducks tandem of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson winning the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders who play at least 25 games for the club allowing the fewest goals.
Kane finished the season with a career-high 46 goals, 60 assists and 106 points, besting Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn (41-48—89) and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (36-49—85) for his first career Art Ross Trophy. Kane registered at least one point in 64 of the 82 contests he played in (78.0%), highlighted by a 26-game point streak Oct. 17 – Dec. 13 (16-24—40) – a franchise record, the longest by a U.S.-born player in NHL history and the longest by any player since 1992-93 (Mats Sundin: 30). He also recorded his first two career hat tricks (Jan. 15 at TOR and April 3 vs. BOS) and scored in a career-high seven straight games Nov. 2-15 (7-9—16), tied for the longest such run by any player this season. The Buffalo, N.Y., native became the first U.S.-born player in NHL history to capture the Art Ross Trophy. He also became the first U.S.-born player to reach the 100-point milestone since 1995-96 (Doug Weight: Detroit, Mich.) and the first Blackhawks player to hit the number since 1993-94 (Jeremy Roenick).
Ovechkin scored 50 goals to capture his fourth consecutive and sixth overall Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, adding to the ones he earned in 2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. Ovechkin, who finished ahead of Kane (46) and Benn (41) for the award, became the third player in NHL history to total seven or more 50-goal seasons, following Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky – each with nine. He also became the third player in League history to post 30-plus goals in each of his first 11 seasons, joining Mike Gartner (15) and Gretzky (13). Ovechkin recorded his 500th career goal while playing in his 801st NHL game – fifth-fastest in League history behind Gretzky (575), Mario Lemieux (605), Bossy (647) and Brett Hull (693). The Moscow native, who surpassed Sergei Fedorov (483) as the highest-scoring Russian-born player in League history, has compiled 164 more goals, 71 more power-play goals and 20 more game-winning goals than any other player since entering the NHL in 2005-06.
The Jennings race was not decided until the final game of the season. The Ducks traveled to Washington Sunday with a one-goal deficit in the competition — Washington with a League-low 191 goals-against, Anaheim with 192. Andersen and Gibson clinched their first career Jennings win when the Ducks, behind Andersen’s 24 saves, blanked the Capitals 2-0, keeping their goals-against total at 192 and pushing Washington’s to 193.
Andersen and Gibson are the first Ducks goaltenders to claim the Jennings Trophy. Andersen, who made 43 appearances in the Ducks’ goal, posted a 15-game point streak Jan. 1 – March 5 (13-0-2), the second-longest such run in franchise history behind Jonas Hiller’s 16-game streak in 2013-14 (14-0-2). Andersen went 17-1-2 in his final 22 outings dating to Jan. 13. Gibson, meanwhile, appeared in 40 games and ranked second in the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average, paced all rookie netminders with four shutouts and shared the rookie lead in wins (21).
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
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