Coyotes Announce 2017-18 Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, April 7, 2018

GLENDALE, ARIZONA ---The Arizona Coyotes announced today the team awards winners for the 2017-18 NHL season. Coyotes forward Clayton Keller won the BMW Team MVP Award, the Desert Financial Credit Union Leading Scorer Award and the Ganem Jewelers Three Star Award. Nick Cousins captured the Fry's Food Stores Hardest Working Player/Jukka Nieminen Memorial Award, while defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was selected as the Gila River Hotels & Casinos Man of the Year Award for his dedication to the community.

The 19-year-old Keller leads the team in goals (23) and points (65) and is tied for the team lead in assists (42), power-play goals (6) and game-winning goals (3). He set the Coyotes' single season rookie records for goals, assists, points, multi-point games (14) and points in a month (19). Entering tonight's game, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward ranks second among NHL rookies in points and assists and fifth in goals.
Keller was selected as the NHL's Rookie of the Month for March after he led all rookies with 13 assists and 19 points in 17 games (6-13-19). He was previously honored as the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October after he led NHL rookies with nine goals and 15 points in 13 games. Keller became the first player in Coyotes history to win multiple Rookie of the Month awards. The first-year forward is one of 10 players in Coyotes history to reach 60 points in a season to win the BMW Team MVP Award. The Coyotes broadcast media along with beat writers from the Arizona Republic and ArizonaSports.com voted for the award.

The Chesterfield, Missouri native also led the Coyotes in road scoring (11-23-34) and is second on the team in home scoring (12-19-31) to capture the Desert Financial Credit Union Leading Scorer Award.
Additionally, Keller recorded a career-long 10-game point streak (5-9-14) from March 11-28. It marked the longest point streak by a rookie in Coyotes history and is the longest by an NHL rookie this season. Keller became the first player in Coyotes history to have three separate point streaks of seven or more games in a single season. He has been selected as a star in 17 games including seven as the team's first star to win the 2017-18 Ganem Jewelers Three Star Award.
Cousins has registered 12-7-19 with 31 penalty minutes (PIM) in 70 games this season. Entering tonight's game, the 24-year-old forward has established career highs in goals, points, games and shots. Cousins was selected as the Fry's Food Stores Hardest Working Player/Jukka Nieminen Memorial Award winner by fans who voted at ArizonaCoyotes.com.

For the second consecutive season, Ekman-Larsson earned the Gila River Hotels & Casinos Man of the Year Award for his dedication, commitment and passion for bettering the lives of those in the community. The 26-year-old defenseman continues to be very involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Scottsdale and donated a suite for the Club to utilize throughout the season. Ekman-Larsson participates in several meet and greets with kids after Coyotes home games. This season, he attended the unveiling for the DEK hockey rink with the Boys & Girls Club at Laguna Elementary School. In February, the Karlskrona, Sweden native escorted kids from HopeKids on a horseback riding adventure and also visited several youth hockey teams throughout the Valley during practice crashes and surprise visits. During his eighth season as a member of the Coyotes, the veteran blueliner participated in all team community events including the annual team hospital visit, Kaboom! playground build, Face-Off Luncheon, golf tournament, bowling outing and Celebrity Waiter's gala.