The NHL announced Thursday night (May 30) that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the 2023-24 season. The award is given annually to the player who best combines sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability. It is the second time Slavin has won the award, the first time back during the 2020-21 season. He has finished in the top five of Lady Byng voting in each of the last five seasons dating back to 2019-20. Back in 2020-21, he became only the fourth defenseman in NHL history to win the trophy. However, that is not all when it comes to history for the Erie, CO native when it comes to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
Slavin Makes History
While winning the Lady Byng for the second time in his career, he joins four-time winner Red Kelly to become the second blueliner to receive the honor in multiple seasons. Kelly won the award in the 1950-51, 1952-53, 1953-54, and 1960-61 seasons, three of those with the Detroit Red Wings and his last one with the Toronto Maple Leafs. For Slavin to join a Hall of Famer in Kelly puts him in some elite company when it comes to winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Regarding franchise history (Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers), Slavin joined Ron Francis (2001-02) to win the award. Furthermore, he is the only Whalers/Hurricanes player to be selected as a finalist in multiple seasons.
Slavin during the 2023-24 season had 37 points while only committing four minor penalties through 81 games for the Hurricanes. This is back-to-back seasons where he only had eight penalty minutes (PIMs) all season. Plus, it was the fifth straight season where he had 10 minutes or less of PIMs. That is otherworldly stuff and it makes people wonder how he has only won the award twice in the last four seasons. Slavin received 81 first-place votes and finished with 1,174 points with Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks finishing with 508 points. Undoubtedly, he deserved the award, to say the least. When it comes to the playoffs, Slavin holds the franchise records for career playoff games played (71), assists (29) and points (36) by a defenseman.
Slavin began his postseason career by going 36 games without committing a penalty, the most by any defenseman in league history. It seems fitting that that particular record will not be broken anytime soon, if ever.
When asked about Slavin’s ability to limit his…
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