We return on this fine first day of Summer 2025 with another NHL Saturday entry that takes us back in time. The standings were interesting this time around with the top two teams finishing 30 points ahead of the third, fourth, and fifth teams. That represents a serious gap in talent, so how will it shake out below with our five awards analyses? We have no idea. That’s the fun of this: coming into the sitch cold turkey … Yow!

1951 Hart: Milt Schmidt, C, Boston (original); Maurice Richard, RW, Montréal (revised)

Despite posting just 7.0 Point Shares for the fourth-place Boston Bruins, center Milt Schmidt won the Hart vote. He did not finish in the league’s Top 10 overall, and there were a few forwards who had (a lot) more value: Detroit Red Wings right wing Gordie Howe (12.1 PS); Montréal Canadiens RW Maurice Richard (9.6); and Toronto Maple Leafs RW Tod Sloan (7.4). This presents some dilemmas with the standings, obvi.

Howe was so dominant, but the Red Wings finished with 101 points, in first place and six points ahead of Toronto. Meanwhile, Montréal finished third with 65 points, and Boston finished fourth with 62 points. The New York Rangers were fifth with 61 points. So, the skaters with the most true value were Richard and Schmidt. Neither the Canadiens nor the Bruins beat out the Rangers without their top forward on the ice.

Those realities being equal, how can we not pick Richard, with the much-higher individual achievement? We understand the sentimental vote for Schmidt, an age-32 World War II veteran. But he didn’t lead the league in any significant statistical categories (Richard led in one only), and he missed eight games during the regular season, which doesn’t sit well for this era of toughness. Richard only missed five games himself.

Thus, we give this nod to Richard: in real life, he only won one Hart (1947), so we will see how that goes next month. But at age 29 here, he was in his prime and made the difference for his team in terms of playing on (see below) or going home. He topped the league in short-handed goals and added 97 PIMs, to boot. Done.

1951 Norris: Red Kelly, Detroit

Only two defensemen finished in the Top 10 overall for Point Shares: Detroit’s Red Kelly (12.1) and Toronto’s Jimmy Thomson (8.8). The latter had a slight edge in Defensive PS, finishing 0.2 PS ahead of the former. Kelly’s PS total was actually the highest for any skater in the league, and we know the Red Wings finished ahead of the Maple Leafs. So, this is an easy choice—Kelly’s sixth Norris from us, fourth in a row.

1951 Vezina: Al Rollins, Toronto (original); Terry Sawchuk, Detroit (revised)

This is a weird situation, as Maples Leafs goaltender Al Rollins (10.4 PS) won the Vezina under the then-rules of the team giving up the fewest goals and their top goalie. Yet he played in just 40 games out of possible 70 contests. That’s ridiculous, even if he did lead the NHL in GAA (1.70). He also wasn’t even chosen for the NHL first- or second-team roster at the end of the campaign. So, just a quirk in the rules, of course.

Meanwhile, Detroit’s Terry Sawchuk led the entire league with 17.0 PS while starting all 70 games, posting a 1.97 GAA, and topping the NHL with 11 shutouts. Oh, and his team finished first, which it may not have done if he had started only 40 games, etc. Whatever the reason for Rollins’ 30-games missed, that doesn’t warrant a major award like this when you’re sitting for more than 40 percent of the regular season. Wow.

For the record, Rollins finished fourth among netminders in Point Shares. Of course, we’re giving this nod to Sawchuk, who was actually in his rookie season. This is the fourth nod to him overall and second in a row, too. Needless to say, he won’t be featuring in our future columns, so this is his swan song (see below).

1951 Calder: Sawchuk (original, confirmed)

When a rookie tops the entire NHL in Point Shares, it’s a pretty cut and dried situation. That’s what we have here with Sawchuk, who won the vote at the time. Rollins, too, was a rookie, and he finished second in the vote, a footnote in history. So, the two top teams saw the majority of their starts (110 combined out of a potential 140) go to rookie goaltenders. That’s fascinating, in truth. Either way, we confirm this vote. Duh.

1951 Conn Smythe: Max Bentley, C, Toronto

The Maples Leafs triumphed in the postseason, taking out the Boston Bruins in the semifinals (losing just once) and then dropping the Canadiens in the Finals over five games. Montréal upset Detroit in the semis, making it a lot easier for Toronto to win the Stanley Cup. C Max Bentley was the only skater to post more than a point a game, as he topped all skaters in the postseason with 11 assists and 13 points in 11 games.

Toronto used multiple goalies, so neither one of them was used enough to warrant this nod. Bentley it is.