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Thankfully, the 1997-98 regular season has come to a close. At times it was slow, at times it was boring, but it was always the NHL. And even though only one player reached 100 points and most stars failed to average even a point per game, the league continued to run as normal and charge fans full price for tickets. Thank you, NHL!

While it may not have been the best season in history, it was still officially a season. So that means the league has to hand out the usual post-season awards. This year the ceremony will be held on June 25, chock-full with the usual lame jokes and awkward silences. The following is a list of the favorites for the various awards. Of course, LCS Hockey will give out its awards in our big Season Review issue, slated for June 30. We're hoping to have Alan Thicke on hand to do the honors.

HART TROPHY

Likely Winner - Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres (33-23-13, 2.09, .932, 13 shutouts): Everyone loves Hasek. I haven't seen such overwhelming public approval since a young lad by the name of Gary Coleman took television by storm. Hasek led the league in save percentage (.932) for the fifth consecutive season. He was also tops in games played (72), minutes played (4220), and shutouts (13), while finishing fourth in goals-against (2.09) and tied for third in wins (33). There was a great deal of turmoil this season in Buffalo, but Hasek carried the team back to the playoffs despite all the distractions. Take him out of the Buffalo cage, and the Sabres are just another low-scoring, mediocre team. Hasek makes the club fun to watch. Anyone who can do that these days in the NHL deserves the Hart Trophy. And if he does claim the hardware, Hasek will be the first goaltender in NHL history to win back-to- back Harts.

Other Candidates:

Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks (73-52-34-86): Selanne was the best forward in the league this season. Even without Paul Kariya around, Selanne still dominated games with his speed and determination. He finished tied for the league lead in goals (52), despite missing nine games due to injury. His numbers are even more amazing when one considers he was surrounded by little more than AHL talent in Anaheim. Teemu had 33 more points and 35 more goals than his next closest teammate. That deserves a wow...

Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins (77-35-67-102): Jagr was the only player in the league to notch 100 points, finishing with 102. His MVP chances may have been hurt by his childish outburst near the end of the season in which he questioned the wisdom of coach Kevin Constantine, but then again it may have also strengthened his case. Jagr voiced his complaints during a 10-game stretch that saw his line struggle and the Penguins waddle to a 1-5-4 record. It was pretty obvious that when Jagr didn't score, the Penguins didn't win. The Czech Wonder Kid then shut his mouth and picked up his game, sparking the Pens to three straight wins to close out the season.

Jason Allison, Boston Bruins (81-33-50-83): No one ever talks about the guy, but where would the Bruins have been without Allison? The former Cap farmhand enjoyed a breakthrough season, finishing among the league leaders with career highs in goals (33), assists (50), and points (83). If Allison didn't get the job done, the Bruins had problems putting goals on the board. He's the reason they're back in the postseason.

NORRIS TROPHY

Likely Winner - Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings (81-23-29- 50): It's no coincidence that the Kings returned to the playoffs the year Blake stayed healthy. Plagued by a nagging groin injury for the past few seasons, Blake was back to full strength this year and appeared in 81 games for the Royalty, leading all NHL defensemen in goal-scoring with 23. He did finish the year at -3, but he doesn't exactly play with a group of all-stars in L.A. Blake is just the complete package. He can score, he hits like Sonny Liston, and he wins the one-on-one battles. He's the man.

Other Candidates:

Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings (80-17-42-59): Lidstrom was on a mission the first couple months of the season, pretty much carrying the Red Wings on his back. He seemed to have the Norris all wrapped up until a second-half slide opened the door for Blake. Lidstrom scored 10 goals and 21 points in his first 24 games, but then bagged only seven goals and 38 points in his final 56 contests. Lidstrom was still playing great hockey, it's just that he wasn't the dominating force he was early in the season.

Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues (81-9-27-36): Pronger just continues to impress. He spends more time on the ice than the face-off dots. And even though he plays all those minutes and is constantly matched up against the opposition's best, Pronger still led the league with a +47 rating, 12 better than his nearest competitor. He's not flashy, he's just great. But he has two things going against him. First, Norris Trophies usually go to the guy with the best scoring numbers, and it's tough to ignore Blake's 23 goals. Second, Pronger isn't exactly an island in St. Louis. With Big Daddy Mac and Steve Duchesne also wearing the Bluenote, Pronger could lose some votes due to his impressive support network.

Alexei Zhitnik, Buffalo Sabres (78-15-30-45): There's been a lot of hype about Zhitnik lately. And deservingly so. He's the number one man in Buffalo, logging 30+ minutes a night in every possible situation. He's a great skater with a big shot, and he's even capable of dishing out some serious belts. But Zhitnik's going to have to string together a few good seasons before getting any real serious Norris consideration. There are still too many past giveaways and miscues fresh in voters' minds.

VEZINA TROPHY

Likely Winner - Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres: Hasek's going to win the MVP. There's no doubt about it. So it's kind of hard to say he's the most valuable player and then deny him the top goaltender trophy. And it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Hasek is the best goaltender, if not the best player, in the world.

Other Candidates:

Ed Belfour, Dallas Stars (37-12-10, 1.88, .916, 9 shutouts): With Hasek and Martin Brodeur grabbing all the headlines, the Eagle quietly went about leading the league in goals-against average (1.88) and backstopping the Stars to the President's Trophy. He'll get some votes, but he gives up a few too many soft ones to compete with Hasek or Brodeur.

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils (43-17-8, 1.89, .917, 10 shutouts): If someone steals the Vezina from Hasek, it'll be the El Diablo netminder. If not for Hasek, Brodeur would be the undisputed goaltending king. Brodeur led the league in wins (47) and was just one-hundredth of a point off the goals-against lead (1.89). Throw in a .917 save percentage and 10 shutouts, and Brodeur's numbers are crazy nuts.

Tom Barrasso, Pittsburgh Penguins (31-14-13, 2.07, .922, 7 shutouts): Barrasso deserves some recognition. The whole world, including LCS Hockey, thought he was beat. But Tommy returned to his old Stanley Cup-winning form in 1997-98, helping transform the Penguins into a legitimate defensive power. Barrasso won 31 games, set a Penguin record with seven shutouts, and finished third in the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average. He looks primed for another serious playoff run.

CALDER TROPHY

Likely Winner - Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins (81-22-25-47): The little Russian winger got off to a slow start, but turned it on over the second half of the season. The 19-year-old dazzled with his skating and stickhandling en route to leading all rookies in scoring with 22 goals and 47 points. He was easily the most exciting first-year man in the league.

Other Candidates:

Mike Johnson, Toronto Maple Leafs (82-15-32-47): While Samsonov is small and speedy, Johnson, 23, is big and powerful. The 6'3", 185-pound Johnson was one of the few bright spots in Toronto this season. He tied Samsonov for the rookie lead with 47 points. He'll have the Canadian vote behind him, but it still won't be enough to overshadow Samsonov.

Matthias Ohlund, Vancouver Canucks (77-7-23-30): As bad as things were in Toronto, they were even worse in Vancouver. Yet through it all Ohlund was a constant along the blue line. The 21-year- old Swedish defender made an effortless transition to the NHL, finishing with seven goals and 30 points and a +3 rating.

SELKE TROPHY

C'mon, honestly, does anybody really care? It's the same list of guys every year. Sergei Fedorov's holdout took him out of the running. Injuries slowed down Mike Peca. Ron Francis shifted gears a bit this season since he was anchoring Pittsburgh's top scoring line. Pitiful seasons by the Rangers and Bolts pretty much ruined the chances of Niklas Sundstrom and Rob Zamuner. So that leaves Peter Forsberg and Jere Lehtinen as the only return nominees. And St. Louis' Craig Conroy could get a serious push. Just pick whoever you want.

LADY BYNG TROPHY

I think there's even less interest in this one than the Selke. This is usually given to the best player that didn't win the Art Ross or missed out on being a finalist for the Hart. It also helps if you stay out of the box. Wayne Gretzky (28 pim) will probably win, just because they always have to give Gretzky something. The other two finalists will probably be Teemu Selanne (30 pim) and Ron Francis (20 pim).

JACK ADAMS AWARD

Likely Winner - Pat Burns, Boston Bruins (39-30-13, 91 pts, 5th in East): Burns did the most with the least of anyone in the NHL. He took a Bruin team that finished dead last the year before and turned them into the fifth best team in the East, marking a 30-point improvement in the standings. If he wins it'll be his third career Adams.

Other Candidates:

Kevin Constantine, Pittsburgh Penguins (40-24-18, 98 pts, 2nd in East): No Mario Lemieux. No Petr Nedved. No problem. Constantine came into Pittsburgh and implemented a strict team- first, defensive system that made the former superstar-powered squad a more cohesive, hard-working club that did the Steel City proud. Pittsburgh allowed just 188 goals this season, the third lowest total in the league this season and by far the lowest total in franchise history. And outside of three big names, he didn't have a whole lot of talent to work with. He somehow managed to get career years out of such forgotten souls as "Downtown" Robby Brown, Martin Straka, Robert Lang, Jiri Slegr, and Brad Werenka. A late-season flare up with Jagr had the potential to do some damage, but Constantine settled the disturbance in a hurry and got the train back on track. Even though Constantine had perhaps the most daunting task of any coach, what with kicking off the post-Lemieux era and all, most voters will probably give Burns the edge since he didn't have the benefit of having Jagr, Francis, and Barrasso on his roster.

Joel Quenneville, St. Louis Blues (45-29-8, 98 pts, 4th in West): Mike Keenan is always a tough act to follow. I once saw a chimp act reduced to tears over the proposition. But Quenneville didn't sweat it. He set the blueprint for success late last season and then delivered this year, leading the Blues to the fourth-best record in the league.

Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres (36-29-17, 89 pts, 6th in the East): Ruff deserves some votes just for surviving in Buffalo. The atmosphere in town at the start of the season was, shall we say, volatile? When fan favorite Ted Nolan was fired, Ruff became public enemy number one through no fault of his own. The club got off to a dreadful start, but Ruff didn't rabbit. He stood his ground and, with a little help from Hasek, had the Sabres playing some of the best hockey in the league since January 1.

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