Top NHL personalities of 2016

As we bid farewell to a year filled with unforgettable events on and off the ice, NHL.com looks at 16 of the people who helped define the sport in 2016. The list is presented in alphabetical order:

Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks defenseman

The Beard. The Shot. But there was so much more to Burns, who helped the San Jose Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final. He set Sharks records for goals (27) and points (75) by a defenseman in the 2015-16 season, when he finished third in Norris Trophy voting. There was an eight-year contract extension in November, and Burns leads NHL defensemen with 13 goals and 32 points in 34 games so far this season.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins center

Crosby was Mr. Everything in 2016. He took the Penguins from out of a Stanley Cup Playoff spot in January to a Stanley Cup championship in June. In doing so he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs. A few months later he helped Team Canada to victory in the World Cup of Hockey 2016, winning another MVP award. He's poised for more hardware in 2017, leading the League in goals (24) with the Penguins second in the Eastern Conference.

Bill Foley, Vegas Golden Knights owner

The billionaire businessman has made all the right moves since the NHL Board of Governors in June approved expansion to Las Vegas. The Golden Knights will be the League's 31st team, starting in 2017-18. Foley's first major hire on the hockey operations side was general manager: the highly respected George McPhee, who spent 17 seasons as GM of the Washington Capitals (1997-2014).

Wayne Gretzky, NHL Centennial Ambassador

Gretzky is back in a big way. In September, Gretzky was named official ambassador of the League's Centennial celebration. About two weeks later, Gretzky, the NHL all-time leading scorer (2,857 points), returned to the Edmonton Oilers in an official capacity, joining Oilers Entertainment Group. With these two moves, Gretzky went from having an unofficial voice to a more defined role in the sport.

Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey

The hockey world became less bright when Howe died June 10, at 88. There were tributes from U.S. President Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau, the prime minster of Canada. Howe's greatness was matched by his durability and longevity on the ice and generosity of spirit off it. Howe holds the NHL record for most games played (1,767), and he had the most NHL goals (801) and points (1,850) until Gretzky passed him in each category.

Jaromir Jagr, Florida Panthers right wing

At 44, Jagr moved past Mark Messier for second on the NHL all-time scoring list behind Gretzky on Dec. 22, when he got his 1,888th point with an assist for the Florida Panthers against the Boston Bruins. Last season, Jagr, the oldest player in the League, helped spark the resurgent Panthers to the Atlantic Division title, leading them with 66 points.

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks right wing

Kane made history by becoming the first U.S.-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy as the leading scorer in the NHL and the Hart Trophy as League MVP. Kane, who had NHL career highs in goals (46), assists (60) and points (106), was the first Chicago player to win the Hart since Stan Mikita in 1968. His standout season was highlighted by a 26-game point streak.

Ralph Krueger, Team Europe coach

Instead of worrying about soccer powers Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, Krueger, the chairman of Southampton in the English Premier League, turned his attention on how best to pull together hockey players from the eight nations, that formed Team Europe in the World Cup. The break from his day job in soccer to coach Team Europe started as an unusual story and ended with Team Europe losing to Team Canada in the best-of-3 final.

Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets right wing

Selected second in the 2016 NHL Draft, the rookie has lived up to the hype. He went without a goal during the Winnipeg Jets preseason (and for Team Finland at the World Cup), but those days seem long ago. Laine's 30 points lead NHL rookies, and his 19 goals are tied for second in the League with Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings and David Pastrnak of the Bruins. At home, Laine is in contention for another prestigious award: Finnish Sports Personality of the Year.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs center

Generation Next arrived in the NHL in emphatic fashion Oct. 12 -- and from a non-traditional path. Matthews, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, became the first player in the modern era to score four goals in his NHL debut, a 5-4 overtime loss at the Ottawa Senators. Matthews, born in Northern California and raised in Arizona, is the first Arizona-raised player to be selected No. 1. With 26 points (16 goals, 10 assists) in 33 games, he is tied for second with teammate Mitchell Marner in the NHL rookie scoring race behind Laine.

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers center

McDavid, 19, seems determined to make up for lost time. Despite missing 37 games with a broken clavicle last season, his 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in 45 games were fourth among rookies, and he was a finalist for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. This season, McDavid leads the NHL in points (42) and assists (29) through 36 games. In October, the Oilers named him captain, the youngest in NHL history.

Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender

What do Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, Cam Ward and Murray have in common? Each goaltender won the Stanley Cup as a rookie (Antti Niemi also won the Cup with the Blackhawks in his first season but was too old to qualify for the Calder Trophy). Murray had 15 playoff wins in Pittsburgh's run to the Cup. His storybook season started under modest circumstances with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. He was recalled for good Feb. 27 and finished the regular season with seven consecutive wins, a hint of big things to come.

Jim Rutherford, Pittsburgh Penguins executive vice president and general manager

His two Stanley Cup championships as an executive came 10 years apart, in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes and in 2016 with the Penguins. Rutherford was named NHL General Manager of the Year after making trades for defenseman Trevor Daley and forwards Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin in separate acquisitions, and hiring Mike Sullivan as coach to replace Mike Johnston on Dec. 12, 2015.

P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators defenseman

The trade between the Predators and Montreal Canadiens on June 29 that sent Subban to Nashville and Shea Weber to Montreal was one of those old-school blockbusters, an exchange of the larger-than-life Subban for a heart-and-soul leader like Weber.

Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins coach

Sullivan went from coaching Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL to Stanley Cup champion in six months. The Penguins were 15-10-3 when Johnston was fired and went 33-16-5 under Sullivan. They lost their first four games with Sullivan before settling in and finishing the regular season in formidable fashion, losing twice in their final 16 games.

Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens defenseman

The early returns on the Weber-Subban trade: Weber has two more points than Subban (19-17) in five more games (34-29). Subban has a minus-11 rating, and Weber is plus-18. Two dates to remember: Jan. 3, Montreal at Nashville, and March 2, Nashville at Montreal.