San Jose center Joe Thornton won the Hart Trophy to become the first Shark to be voted as the NHL's Most Valuable Player. Thornton, who also won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer, beat out right wing Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames for MVP honors.

"Wow. I'm very humbled," said Thornton -- who joined San Jose in a Nov. 30 trade with the Boston Bruins -- said at the NHL's televised awards ceremony held in Vancouver. Thornton finished the season with 29 goals and 96 assists for a career-high 125 points, 92 of which came after being traded. • Jagr won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the players' choice for MVP for a third time, after setting Rangers' records with 54 goals and 123 points. He's the first Ranger to capture the honor since Mark Messier in 1992. • San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo's 56 goals earned him the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's top goal- scorer. • Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman for the fourth time. • Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk was voted winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and playing ability. • Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward. • Buffalo's Lindy Ruff was voted the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year.

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