Gary Bettman urged to make a big change involving Johnny Gaudreau: a petition circulating
Since the tragic deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, numerous messages have been circulating on social media.
Many want to pay tribute to the two brothers, and one idea regarding Johnny has not gone unnoticed.
A new Johnny Gaudreau Trophy in the NHL?
Indeed, a proposal to replace the Lady Byng Trophy with the Johnny Gaudreau Trophy is currently gaining traction online. There are even a few petitions circulating, aiming to rename the annual award given to the league's gentleman in honor of the former Flames and Blue Jackets player.
The idea isn't far-fetched, especially knowing that the trophy is entering its 100th year of existence. This could bring things full circle with Lady Byng and honor the memory of Johnny Gaudreau in a fitting way.
It could also be an opportunity to change the way the award is granted, as it is currently journalists, not the players, who select the winner. This doesn't make much sense, as the recipient is often judged based on the number of penalties they received during the season. Letting the players vote through the NHLPA, as is done for several individual awards, would be a much better approach.
Johnny Gaudreau won this honor in 2017, finishing the season with only 4 penalty minutes in 72 games. In fact, he could have won this award multiple times if it had been determined by the players.
I don't see how Gary Bettman could refuse.
A story to follow.
| POLL | ||
Would you like to see the Lady Byng Trophy renamed in honor of Johnny Gaudreau? | ||
| Yes | 1128 | 76.5 % |
| No | 347 | 23.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
