February 11th, 2025
Alex Rickman
As we reach the Four Nations Faceoff and the NHL goes on pause, we’re at an interesting time of year for the Vancouver Canucks. Before the last week of January, this team seemed directionless. However, following the pair of major trades made on January 31st and a dominant week from Thatcher Demko (please be ok Thatcher), the Canucks once again find themselves in a playoff spot and have put some hope back into the fanbase.
Are the Canucks actually back? It’s hard to say, and we’ll see what happens after the break. For now, though, let’s take a look at what went right for the Canucks during the first half of the season. At the end of every season, the Canucks hand out seven team awards to their players for achievements both on and off the ice. Who can we expect to take home the awards given out for accomplishments on the ice? Let’s take a look through these categories and hand out some midseason team awards.
Walter “Babe” Pratt Trophy- Best Defenceman
Winner- Quinn Hughes
Need I bother to explain this one? Quinn Hughes is the best defenceman in the NHL, and should unquestionably be taking home a second consecutive Norris Trophy this season, and, for reasons outlined by JC Clemas in a past article, should be in serious consideration for the Hart. To even consider for a second the possibility that another player on what has until recently been an incredibly unstable blue line could take home this award would be ridiculous. They may as well give Hughes his sixth consecutive Babe Pratt Trophy now.
If, for argument's sake, Hughes could not win the Pratt Trophy, who should take it home? While he hasn’t always looked his best this year, the highs for Filip Hronek are enough to have him as the favourite to take home this award in a Hughesless world. While he is second on the team in plus/minus and tied for second in points by a defenceman, Hronek has still had some rough moments this season. However, on a defence where that’s true of everyone, you have to focus on the highs and what their baseline has been, and for Hronek, those have been higher than they have for the rest of this Canucks defence.
Pavel Bure Most Exciting Player Award
Winner- Quinn Hughes
Once again, no surprise here. Quinn Hughes is yet to take home this award in his NHL career, but this year it feels like he’s the only real candidate for it. The Canucks simply have not been an exciting team to watch this year, but when Hughes has the puck on his stick, it feels like there may be some life to what otherwise so often feels like a dead team. No defenceman has ever taken home the Canucks Most Exciting Player Award, but for a player like Hughes, this would be far from the most significant first on his resume.
If not Hughes though, the Canucks do have a few forwards who could be worthy recipients of this award. With their constant energy and solid offensive production, Conor Garland and Kiefer Sherwood have been anything but boring to watch this season. With Garland currently third on the team in points and Sherwood on pace to shatter the NHL record for hits in a season, either one of these aggressive wingers could be candidates to take home this title if Quinn Hughes isn’t the man chosen.
Fred J. Hume Award- Unsung Hero
Winner- Pius Suter
If the impending UFA isn’t moved ahead of the trade deadline, Suter would be my choice as the team's unsung hero. The Swiss Army Knife simply does it all. Need to kill a penalty? Suter can do it. Spark on offence? Suter can do it. Someone to play in the top six? Suter. Bottom six? Suter. No matter what you ask of him, Pius Suter can do it and can do it well, yet still doesn’t often get the credit he deserves. Signing Pius Suter was undoubtedly one of the best moves Patrik Allvin has made as Canucks GM, and it’s time that Suter gets some recognition for his work.
Beyond Suter, both Sherwood and Garland could once again be strong choices for unsung hero. If, however, it isn’t a workhorse winger taking home the award, there is another name who could be a good choice for the honour. After luck went strongly against him during the early stages of the season, Derek Forbort has been a defensive rock for the Canucks during the second half. With defensive defenceman Luke Schenn being the most recent winner not named Dakota Joshua, maybe it’s Forbort’s time to get some recognition for his work.
Cyclone Taylor Award- Most Valuable Player
Winner- Quinn Hughes
Was it ever going to be anyone else? I already said that I think Hughes should win the Norris and be in consideration for the Hart, of course he should also be the Canucks MVP. Hughes changes the Canucks outlook when he’s on the ice in a way that few, if any, players in the NHL can. A team that has looked so lost without him at times suddenly bursts to life and looks like they actually want to win. It’s safe to say that without Quinn Hughes on the ice, the chances that the Canucks would be in the running for a playoff spot would be somewhere between slim and none.
Once again, the question must be asked, who if not Hughes? Players like Brock Boeser and Jake Debrusk could make cases off the backs of them being the next highest producers after Hughes. Kevin Lankinen (Hi Trevor!) could also be worth a shout for his heroics in the absence of Thatcher Demko. However, I’m going to take Conor Garland as the next in line for MVP. Even after passing him up for Suter in the running for unsung hero, Garland has been one of the best players on the ice for the Canucks in just about any game he’s played. Currently tied for third on the team in points, it’s good to see the longtime fan favourite playing like the man he was acquired to be in Vancouver.
In addition to these four, the Canucks will also hand out the Three Stars Award, the Daniel and Henrik Sedin Award for community leadership, and the Cyrus H. McLean Trophy for the teams leading scorer. For now, Hughes feels like the strong favourite to take home the McLean Trophy and the Three Stars Award, while the Daniel and Henrik Sedin Award could go to a good number of players, Hughes included. Time will tell what happens with these and other awards, but let’s hope to see a second half of the season better than the first.
Except for Quinn Hughes, more of the same is just fine for him.