LAS VEGAS -- He's a Civil War buff, a history buff, and now a first-time winner of the Jack Adams Award at 60 years old.

However, Ken Hitchcock got to the stage at the Encore Theater on Wednesday to collect his first coach of the year award in a NHL career that dates back 17 years because he forgot about history and his age to instead dedicated himself to becoming more in tune and current with today's youth.

Without intensely studying the ins and outs and intricacies of Generation Y, Hitchcock isn't so sure he would have been able to relate to the St. Louis Blues, a team that has an average age of 27.2. If he couldn't relate, there's no way the Blues would have gone 43-15-11 under Hitchcock after he took over for Davis Payne on Nov. 6.

LAS VEGAS -- There's a simple reason why Brian Campbell only took three minor penalties this season.

"I hate to sit in the penalty box," Campbell told NHL.com, punctuating that simple statement with a hearty chuckle.

Brian Campbell

Defense - FLA

GOALS: 1 | ASST: 4 | PTS: 5
SOG: 9 | +/-: -2

"Skating is one of my stronger points and I think I have gotten better over the years with my positioning," he said Wednesday after winning the Lady Byng Award for gentlemanly play at the NHL Awards. "I find I don't need to take those penalties."

LAS VEGAS -- Henrik Lundqvist couldn't pull his eyes away from the Vezina Trophy.

Henrik Lundqvist

Goalie - NYR

RECORD: 10-10-3
GAA: 1.82 | SVP: 0.931

"There are a couple of my heroes on here," Lundqvist said, his eyes again darting to the trophy sitting to the left of him on the table. "Patrick [Roy], Dominik [Hasek] and Marty [Brodeur] have had great careers, so it feels good. It's been a goal for me."

Lundqvist was nominated for the award three years running, starting in 2006. Yet each June, another goalie took home the trophy, leaving Lundqvist more determined to lay claim to the award that recognizes the League's best goalie, according to the NHL's 30 general managers.

LAS VEGAS -- Just a few years ago, Evgeni Malkin would have shuddered at the thought of going on stage to accept something as big as the Hart Trophy, an honor that requires the recipient to give a speech in front of a large live audience in front of him and an even larger audience watching at home.

Evgeni Malkin

Center - PIT

GOALS: 3 | ASST: 5 | PTS: 8
SOG: 26 | +/-: -1

Wednesday night at Encore Theater in the Wynn Las Vegas, Malkin stepped out of his old shoes and into his new ones. Not only is he now a Hart Trophy winner for the first time in his career, but he accepted the trophy at the 2012 NHL Awards show with a confident speech given in his still somewhat limited, yet vastly improved English.

He showed poise. He followed all the rules by thanking those who mean the most to him, including former teammate and landlord Sergei Gonchar. Then, after leaving the theater, Malkin stood on the podium, his hardware -- including the Ted Lindsay Award and the Art Ross Trophy situated in front of him -- and confidently answered questions from the media for nearly 10 minutes.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Electronic Arts Inc. and NHL.com announced today during the live broadcast of the 2012 NHL Awards that Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux has been selected by fans as the EA SPORTS NHL 13 cover athlete.

Giroux beat Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the final of the first ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign by less than a one percent margin, in what was the closest matchup of the entire campaign. NHL 13 will be available on September 11, 2012 in North America and September 14, 2012 in Europe.

LAS VEGAS -- Max Pacioretty can't believe the success he has encountered in the past season.

In his first 123 NHL games, he managed just 20 goals and saw his career almost ended by an injury caused by a check by Boston's Zdeno Chara.

Max Pacioretty

Left Wing - MTL

Goals: - | Assists: - | Pts: -
Shots: - | +/-: -

"I've had so much success in the past year and a half and it all came pretty much out of nowhere," Pacioretty told NHL.com on Tuesday during media day for the NHL Awards.

While Pacioretty was angry that the Canadiens limped home in last place in the Eastern Conference -- enduring a season to forget that cost the jobs of the general manager and two different coaches -- the failures allowed Pacioretty to play in the World Championships.

LAS VEGAS -- Steven Stamkos' eyes lit up as he talked about Evgeni Malkin's incredible combination of skill and power. Likewise, Malkin got animated as he spoke about Stamkos' ability to get better year after year.

As for Henrik Lundqvist -- well, it's easy to tell how much respect he has for both of the forwards he's up against for the Hart Trophy at the 2012 NHL Awards show Wednesday at the Wynn Las Vegas.

The feeling of respect among the three finalists for the League's biggest individual award was on full display Tuesday during the media availability with the award finalists.

LAS VEGAS -- The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a crucible that can make or break players.

It appears that the 2012 edition of the most difficult postseason tournament in sports has made David Backes, the St. Louis Blues' captain.

David Backes

Center - STL

GOALS: 2 | ASST: 2 | PTS: 4
SOG: 12 | +/-: -5

"We got to stare at what it takes to win a Stanley Cup right in the face," Backes said Tuesday from Media Day for the NHL Awards. "We got to battle that for four games -- and really, the difference as to what was in our locker room and in their locker room as far as players on paper, it really wasn’t that different.

"But what they had in mentality and as far as a buy-in from all their guys -- that is where the difference was. How do we get there? That's probably the million-dollar question, but I think once you see that other level -- and so many guys on our team have seen it now -- we will have way more guys on board and it will come more readily."