The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies quality sportsmanship and "gentlemanly conduct" on the ice. It's also combined with a high level of on-ice play, which can be a tough balancing act for some players. In short, don't expect Tom Wilson to win this award any time soon. Only the gentlemanly of gentlemen need apply.
The list of players receiving votes is massive. That includes Elias Pettersson, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner. Hockey requires players to keep a level head during an intense game, which can be difficult. Maintaining a professional attitude can be daunting, whether it's annoying players like Wilson getting under the skin or bad calls against you. Yes, there are some Vegas Golden Knights who received votes for the award as well if you were wondering.
But enough about the award's basics. Who are the mystery Golden Knights players who received points? That would be defensemen Shea Theodore (35 points) and Alex Pietrangelo (10 points, one first-place vote). Sadly, these totals aren't even close to winning the Lady Byng trophy. In fact, both players didn't even crack the top 15 in voting. So who won the illustrious award for displaying a gentlemanly attitude in hockey?
Jaccob Slavin is the 2024 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner
Defenseman Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes is your 2024 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner. Slavin received 81 first-place votes and earned 1,174 points during the voting process. His victory was never in doubt, for the second-place winner (Pettersson) received 508 points. That included 13 first-place votes for the Vancouver Canucks star.
As for the Hurricanes defenseman, he only received eight penalty minutes this season. This is the second time he's won the award, with his first coming in 2020-21. The former All-Star also ranked second place in 2021-2022 for the award. It's safe to say Slavin knows how to be a gentleman in the gritty game of hockey.
But what about some former Vegas Golden Knights?
That's a good question! There are some former Vegas Golden Knights that also received some points. The voting process was kind to Minnesota Wild goaltender (and Vezina winner) Marc-Andre Fleury, who placed ninth with 96 points (four first-place votes). It should be no surprise to Golden Knights fans, who've seen Fleury's character and sportsmanship during his Vegas tenure.
Nick Suzuki also earned some points for the Lady Byng Award. The former forward earned eight points during the voting process, receiving a third-place and fourth-place vote. The Montreal Canadiens star has grown into his own since being traded, evolving into a reliable player for the rebuilding team.
Sadly, there were no Vegas Golden Knights players--past or present--who won this year's award. William Karlsson was the first Golden Knights member to win the trophy in 2017-18. That season, the forward only received 12 penalty minutes, good enough to earn the award in the team's first year. For Vegas, they'll have to wait another year before trying for the franchise's second trophy.