![]() Jun 26 Takeshobo's 4-Panel Manga Magazine Manga Life Ends Publication in July.Jun 26 My Dearest Self with Malice Aforethought Suspense Manga Gets Live-Action Show Starring Hey! Say! JUMP's Ryōsuke Yamada."It's pretty cool, so I'm sure I'll look back at this one and I'll be smiling at it. "It's such a great honour to win this award and for me to be recognized, there's so many good, talented players out there in the league," Connor said. He likely had a bit of a grin on his face that night after playing against Datsyuk, and after tonight, he's one step closer to his goal of replicating everything Datsyuk did. "That was the only time I ever played against him. Classic Datsyuk, he picked like three or four of our guys on Team USA and ended up burying one right after," Connor grinned. "I actually played against him at the World Championship over in Russia. "It's pretty special," Connor said, who remembers one other thing about that particular World Championship.Įven if that memory involves a 7-2 loss to Datsyuk and the Russians. While Datsyuk played for Russia, Woodcroft had a relationship with the five-time Olympian, and got the stick signed for Connor early on in his tenure with the Jets. That same year, Todd Woodcroft, who later became an assistant coach with the Jets in the fall of 2016 through 2020, worked with Belarus at the same event. If Connor ever needs more motivation, he only needs to look at another piece of memorabilia already in his trophy case.Īn autographed stick from Datsyuk himself.Ĭonnor received it shortly after the 2016 IIHF World Hockey Championship. That's why we continue to get better as a group and both of us individually." It makes for some fun competitive skates. "Every single shot I think I'm going to score on him, and he thinks he's going to save every shot. We skate with each other in the summer," said Connor. "We've always had a good friendly banter and competition. He credits it to growing up competing against his brothers - Brendan and Jacob - and it's carried into practices with his teammates, and on the ice against NHL competition night after night.Īnd now, as he joins Connor Hellebuyck - who won the Vezina Trophy in 2020 - as the only members of the current version of the Winnipeg Jets with individual NHL hardware, that competitive spirit might fire up again before the 2022-23 season even starts. He put the work in during the off-season and this type of season - his first 40-goal season after scoring 30-plus in three of the last four - was the reward for that. Throughout the season, as the goals and points kept piling up, Connor always maintained that this was the level he expected out of himself. Is it hard to not take penalties? I don't think about it at all when I'm on the ice." You know it's not something where I go out there looking, I just play my game. "It's being smart with your feet, being in the right positioning to be able to check with your stick. "It's just kind of how I've always played my game, just kind of used my footspeed and my stick to check moreso than my body," said Connor. His 36 even-strength goals were the second most in the NHL, and he was fourth among all forwards in average ice time at 21:47.Īll that time on the ice, all those points, and still only four penalty minutes. His 47 goals and 93 points set new franchise records since the team relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. The high-flying Winnipeg Jets forward was the exact definition of that all season. The award is presented annually "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." ![]() To get a very special award from those two was pretty cool." Unfortunately the way he passed away this past year. The trophy was presented by the wife and daughter of the late Mike Bossy, who won the Lady Byng on three occasions - 1983, 1984, and 1986. The 25-year-old from Shelby Township, Michigan beat out last year's winner - Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes - and Minnesota Wild defenceman Jared Spurgeon for this year's award. On 122 of those, his name was in the first spot. Connor's name was on 181 of the 195 ballots cast by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
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