Manganiello will feel at home at the 2017 NHL Awards Show, as he'll be joined in the festivities by Penguins' five-time Stanley Cup champion owner Mario Lemieux, who will present an award. Captain Sidney Crosby will also be on hand with the Stanley Cup, and to officially receive his Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, which he captured for the second time in his career after leading the NHL with 44 goals in the regular season.
Crosby figures to be a central figure to the NHL Awards Show all evening, which is appropriate considering the 365-day run he had between June 12, 2016-June 11, 2017. In that span, Crosby compiled one of the best stretches by a player in hockey history, winning a pair of Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe Trophies (NHL playoff MVP), and captaining Canada to a victory in the 2016 World Cup, where Crosby was named tournament MVP and led all players in points.
In addition to having the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophies, and receiving the "Rocket" Richard Award, Crosby is a finalist for both the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award, which goes to the NHL's most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA.
Crosby, whose 89 points this year (44G-45A) ranked second in the NHL behind only Edmonton's Connor McDavid, is a finalist for the Hart Trophy for the sixth time in his career. Crosby has won the Hart Trophy twice previously, in 2014 and 2007. If he wins the Hart Trophy, Crosby would be the ninth player in NHL history to win the award at least three times.
Should Crosby take home the Ted Lindsay Award for the fourth time in his career, he would join a very select group of four-time winners that currently includes just Wayne Gretzky (5 times) and Lemieux (4 times). Crosby first won the Ted Lindsay Award in 2007, followed by back-to-back times in 2013 and '14.
Looking at things from a historical perspective, heading into Wednesday, the only players to win the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy and Hart Trophy all in the same season are Wayne Gretzky (1985), Guy Lafleur (1977) and Bobby Orr (1972 & 70).
Only Gretzky (1985) and Lafleur (1977) have won the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award all in the same season (both players also won the Hart Trophy, too, in those seasons).
Besides Crosby, the other finalists for the Hart Trophy are Edmonton's McDavid and Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Crosby's competition for the Ted Lindsay Award is McDavid and San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns.
During this year's show, the host team, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, will unveil their 30 selections from the NHL Expansion Draft. The Golden Knights will select one player from each NHL club.
