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NHL AWARDS

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Updated Jun 19, 2009 1:30 PM ET
     
 
The Blue Jackets tore it up in Las Vegas last night. Goaltender Steve Mason won the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL's top rookie, and captain Rick Nash won the NHL's Foundation Award, recognizing his charity work. "It's a great night for the Blue Jackets ," Mason said. "We were very well represented." Mason also was named to the NHL's second All-Star Team and the All-Rookie Team, capping a season in which he made a meteoric rise out of the Canadian junior system to rank among the top 10 in almost every statistical category. "It's a great way to wrap up a pretty incredible season for myself," Mason told The Dispatch by telephone. "I'm the only person who gets credit with an award like this, but that's not how I think about it. "It would be an insult if I didn't mention all the people who helped me get to this point. The little bit I could say in that minute and a half (at the podium) is nowhere near what they deserve. "If it weren't for them, I'd be home watching the awards show, I know that." When Mason took the dais to accept the Calder, he thanked his family and friends, Blue Jackets majority owner John P. McConnell and his family, the coaches and management, and his teammates. "Without them, none of this would be possible," Mason said. "So, thanks boys." Mason, 21, had his mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and girlfriend -- Amberleigh McCulligh -- in attendance. He went on to thank goaltending coach Dave Rook for "transforming" his game, as well as Blue Jackets fans, some of whom made the trip. "You guys are awesome, and you make playing in Columbus a ton of fun," Mason said. The one person missing was Mason's father, Bill, who was resting at home in Oakville, Ontario, while fighting another bout with blood clots. Mason dedicated the award to him. "He was really disappointed he couldn't come," Mason said. Mason led the NHL in shutouts (10), was second in goals-against average (2.29), tied for ninth in wins (33) and 11th in save percentage (.916). He helped steer the Blue Jackets toward the franchise's first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Chicago's Kris Versteeg and Anaheim's Bobby Ryan were also up for the Calder. Mason also was nominated for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender, but Boston's Tim Thomas won, as expected. The NHL's Foundation Award, which Nash won, recognizes a player's commitment and service to charities in their communities. It is voted on by a panel of NHL executives, including commissioner Gary Bettman. Montreal's Alex Kovalev and Los Angeles' Dustin Brown were the other finalists. Nash has donated time and money to Central Ohio charities that fight poverty, pediatric cancer and illiteracy. He also donated $100,000 to Ohio State to endow a student-athlete scholarship and was a founding donor ($25,000) of the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund, named after the Jackets owner who died in 2008. "Being a professional Hockey player is a privilege and I am extremely fortunate, as it has afforded me many opportunities to give back," Nash said in a statement released through the team. The NHL Foundation presented $25,000 to the charities of Nash's choice -- the Blue Jackets Foundation, the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund, the Tim Hortons Children's Foundation and the Pelotonia Tour. aportzline@dispatch.com
Tagged: Rick Nash, Blue Jackets, Steve Mason

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