THE NHL : Gretzky Should Win the Hart for Leadership, if Not Scoring

It’s award time for the NHL, when the stars of the season are singled out for their efforts.

In the past, this has been the time for the Kings to quietly slip out of sight. But not this time.

Here’s one reporter’s opinion of the best of 1990-91:

Hart Trophy: Given annually to the man judged the league’s most valuable player, it has almost become the personal property of Wayne Gretzky. He won it his first eight seasons in the NHL and nine of 10.

Last season, although Gretzky scored a league-leading 142 points, the Hart Trophy went to Mark Messier.

And rightfully so. Messier was clearly the leader in the resurgence of the Edmonton Oilers.

This season, Gretzky is back in contention along with a pretty decent scorer named Brett Hull.

Also deserving mention are goalie Ed Belfour, who was the key as the Chicago Blackhawks rolled to the best record in the league, and Theoren Fleury, who became the spark plug of the Calgary Flames with his career-high 51 goals and overall inspiring play.

But the real choice seems to boil down to Hull and Gretzky.

The temptation would be to award the Hart to Hull. Given the unenviable task of filling the skates of his illustrious father, Bobby, Brett took the Hull name to even greater heights with an 86-goal season, third-highest in league history behind Gretzky’s two greatest seasons.

Besides, goes the reasoning, Gretzky already has a mantel full of Hart trophies, so why not give it to someone else?

Good argument, but bad year to make it.

It’s not the league-leading 163 points and 122 assists that make Gretzky again deserving, although those are hardly numbers to ignore.

No, it’s the fact Gretzky has done what no one else has ever been able to do, make the Kings a division winner. The first division title in their history would not have even been conceivable without No. 99 on the ice.

And the criteria for any MVP award in any sport is, first and foremost, how valuable was this man to his team?

Despite all his numbers, Hull was unable to elevate the St. Louis Blues above the Blackhawks to a division title.

Gretzky did it for his team, Hull did not. That was the all-important difference.

Winner--Gretzky.

Calder Trophy: Given to the league’s top rookie, the choice here seems to be obvious.

In any other season, a strong case could be made for center Sergei Fedorov of the Detroit Red Wings. With 31 goals and 79 points in 77 games, this Soviet player fulfilled the promise of his countrymen when they joined the NHL a season ago. Their failure as a group only adds luster to Fedorov’s success.

But this isn’t any other year. This is the year of Belfour.

It’s hard for a rookie to dominate at any position. But Belfour did it at the pressure-filled spot of goaltender.

The numbers are all there. He led the league in victories, going an incredible 43-19-7, a full dozen victories ahead of runner-up Mike Vernon of Calgary.

Belfour also led the league in goals-against average at 2.47, in save average at .910 and had four shutouts, one fewer than league-leader Don Beaupre of the Washington Capitals.

But beyond all the numbers, Belfour’s performance was the key to Chicago’s 106 points, highest in the league, and its 211 goals allowed, the league low.

Winner--Belfour.

Coach of the year: There seem to be two contenders here, Bob Johnson of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tom Webster of the Kings.

There isn’t a lot to differentiate between them.

Both coached teams that were in existence for 24 years without a division title.

Both overcame adversity on clubs known for a distinct dislike of the defensive side of the game.

Both cracked the whip and got results, the Kings outlasting the Flames and the Penguins catching the New York Rangers with a stretch run.

In Johnson’s case, he had to coach most of the season without Mario Lemieux.

In Webster’s, he had to hold off the Flames, who put together a club-record 18-game home winning streak late in the season and had the advantage of playing 17 of their last 23 games at home.

Winner--Both Webster and Johnson. Too close to call.

Executive of the year: Again, an argument could be made for either the Kings or the Penguins.

General Manager Rogie Vachon of the Kings traded for goalie Daniel Berthiaume on the eve of training camp, and Berthiaume proved a valuable partner in the net for Kelly Hrudey.

The Kings also reaped the rewards this season of the blockbuster trade of a year ago that brought Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato from the Rangers for Bernie Nicholls.

But Pittsburgh General Manager Craig Patrick’s dramatic trading of John Cullen, Jeff Parker and Zarley Zalapski to the Hartford Whalers for center Ron Francis and defensemen Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings in March was the single boldest stroke of the season, turning the Penguins, almost instantly, into a force that raced to the top of the Patrick Division.

This season, that division was aptly named.

Winner--Patrick.