Former Badgers hockey player wins NHL’s Lady Byng Trophy

(UW ATHLETICS) – Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner and All-American forward Cole Caufield’s trophy case just got bigger with the addition of the NHL’s Lady Byng Trophy.

Awarded to a player who boasts sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct along with excellence on the ice, he became the first Badger to win the major NHL honor.

The Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native tallied 51 goals during the regular season to set a new standard for Badgers in the NHL and become the second player in school history to reach 50 goals in a campaign (Dany Heatley scored exactly 50 twice). He took just seven minor penalties during the season, the fewest among the league’s top-25 scorers.

Caufield helped his Montreal Canadiens reach the Eastern Conference Final, before bowing out to K’Andre Miller’s Carolina Hurricanes.

His 51 goals were two shy of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, which goes to the NHL league-leader in goals, though Caufield remarkably scored no goals into an empty net.

Caufield won the Lady Byng over finalists Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings) and Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators).

Wisconsin alumni own a strong history of winning major NHL awards that started off when Gary Suter captured the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 1986. Brian Elliott won the 2012 William Jennings Trophy along with St. Louis Blues teammate Jaroslav Halak as the goaltenders with the lowest goals-against average for the season.

Badgers have won the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year), Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman), Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender), Bill Masterton Trophy (Perseverance), King Clancy (Community Contribution), William Jennings (lowest goals-against average) and now the Lady Byng (excellence and sportsmanship). Badgers have also won the Lester Patrick Award for contributions to hockey in the United States.

BADGER NHL AWARD WINNERS