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Strong finish earns Perry Hart
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CHRIS STEVENSON, QMI Agency
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  Ducks forward Corey Perry poses with the Hart Memorial Trophy during the NHL Awards at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, June 22, 2011. (BRUCE BENNETT/Getty Images/AFP)
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LAS VEGAS - Corey Perry helped the Anaheim Ducks to a strong finish and a playoff spot.
It looks like he did the same for himself in the Hart Trophy voting for the NHL’s most valuable player.
Perry had 19 goals in his last 16 games to become the only player to hit the 50-goal mark last season, which also earned him the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.
That late surge looks like it helped him to rally and beat out Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks for what is viewed as the NHL’s most prestigious individual award.
“I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet. It’s pretty special,” said Perry, who had 67 first-place votes to 51 for Sedin. Perry wound up with 1,043 total points to Sedin’s 960. Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning was third in the voting with one first-place vote and 332 points.
“I mean, you didn’t know what to expect coming in and all of a sudden you hear your name and you’re like, whoa, it surprised me and like I said I’ve got to give a lot of credit to my teammates,” said Perry.
His late goal scoring surge lifted the Ducks from 11th place in the Western Conference to fourth. He tied Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals in game-winning goals with 11.
Sedin said he agreed Perry was a worthy winner.
“Corey had a great finish to the season and helped his team make the playoffs,” said Sedin. “He really deserved the award.”
chris.stevenson@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/CJ_Stevenson
