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The votes are in. The Globe and Mail's team of hockey writers — Eric Duhatschek, David Shoalts, Tim Wharnsby, Allan Maki, Matthew Sekeres and Sean Gordon — have made their selections for the seven major NHL awards, to be handed out June 18 in Las Vegas.

And the winners are:

Hart (most valuable player)

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (5 of 6 first place votes)

Also receiving consideration: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings, Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils, Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins.

The wording of the Hart — the player "adjudged to be most valuable to his team" — is what's given voters so much trouble over the years. In the past, that's frequently disqualified players on deep, talented teams from competing for the award, such as Datsyuk, who annually competes for top honours on Detroit with Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg. This year, it is also hurting Malkin's candidacy.

Closing in on his first-ever NHL scoring title, Malkin received the other first-place vote. The fact he plays on the same team as Sidney Crosby hampers both their candidacies, which left the dynamic Ovechkin alone atop the MVP race.

A victory by Ovechkin would make him the first back-to-back Hart Trophy winner since Dominik Hasek in 1997-98. Before that, you needed to go back to Wayne Gretzky's prime to find a repeat Hart winner (Gretzky won eight in a row, from 1980 to 1987).

Ovechkin, the runaway goal-scoring leader for the second year in a row, is also the most dynamic player in the league, a perpetual highlight reel waiting to happen. Almost single-handedly, his presence has turned the Capitals, one of the most staid and conservative franchises in the NHL, into the greatest show on ice and helped carry Mike Green, Alex Semin and others to new heights of their own.

Calder (rookie of the year)

Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets (6 of 6 first-place votes)

Also receiving consideration: Bobby Ryan, Anaheim Ducks, Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings, Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators.

Arguably, the most unusual Calder race in history, given that the co-favourites, Mason and Ryan, both started the year in the minors — Mason in Syracuse, Ryan in Iowa. An injury to Pascal Leclaire eventually opened the door for Mason and he quickly seized the No. 1 job, recording 10 shutouts in the process, the most since Tony Esposito set the rookie record of 15 back in 1969-70.

Ryan was in the minors largely for salary-cap reasons, and a season-long injury to Francois Beauchemin opened the door for his return. Despite missing the first month, Ryan eventually overtook the Chicago Blackhawks' Kris Versteeg for the lead in rookie goals and points and has become a dynamic finishing presence on the No. 1 line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

Doughty, the second player chosen in last June's entry draft, has had an effective season for the Kings, leading the team in minutes played as a teenager and showing poise and composure that belies his comparative lack of experience.

Norris (best defenceman)

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins (5 of 6 first-place votes)

Also receiving consideration: Mike Green, Washington Capitals, Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings.

The Norris has been Lidstrom's private domain for six of the past seven years (only Scott Niedermayer in 2004 broke up that run), and while Lidstrom has had another good year, it hasn't been a great year. That could open the door for Chara, captain and MVP of a Bruins' team that is the class of the Eastern Conference this season. Chara was the runner-up in 2004.

Green, who received the other first-place vote, has excellent offensive numbers (30 goals, 70 points) and an attractive plus-24 rating.

No other players were named on any ballot, making this the most lopsided vote of all.

Selke (defensive forward)

Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers and Datsyuk (tied), (3 first-place votes apiece)

Also receiving consideration: Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks, Travis Zajac, New Jersey Devils, Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings, Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks.

Richards is front and centre on the watch list for Canada's 2010 men's Olympic team because of his versatility — the ability to win a faceoff, block a shot, kill a penalty and also contribute on the scoresheet (Richards will finish in the top 20 in NHL scoring for the first time in his career).

Datsyuk, last year's winner, is a formidable presence at both ends of the ice and his plus-38 rating is extraordinary considering how often he goes head-to-head against the opposing team's top centre. Kesler received the most third-place support; he was promoted from a mostly defensive role this year, and now anchors the Canucks' second-line, where he scores more often but is also the defensive conscience of the unit.

Lady Byng (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct)

Datsyuk (3 of 6 first-place votes)

Also receiving consideration: Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning, Zach Parise, New Jersey, Brian Rafalski, Detroit, Niklas Hagman, Toronto, Patrick Marleau, San Jose, Brad Richards, Dallas Stars, Kyle Wellwood, Vancouver Canucks, Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings, Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames.

The last player to win the Byng four years in a row was Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers between 1928 and 1931, but it's hard to go wrong with Datsyuk — a player who doesn't spend the whole night, patrolling the perimeter. Instead, he gets his nose dirty, plays physically and still keeps the penalty minutes down (20 in all).

St. Louis, named on five of six ballots, is a former winner as well and had a quietly effective year for a mediocre Tampa squad. Parise, in the midst of a breakout season for the Devils, doesn't shy away from contact either.

Vezina (top goalie)

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins (4 of 6 first-place votes)

Also receiving consideration: Steve Mason, Columbus, Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose, Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary, Cam Ward, Carolina.

Ever since the Jim Carey fiasco back in 1996, the general managers (who vote on this award) have had a hard time thinking outside of the box, which is what will be required in a year when the usual suspects either missed big portions of the year because of injury (Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo), or struggled statistically (Miikka Kiprusoff, Marty Turco, J.S. Giguére). Thomas leads the league in two important categories: goals-against average and save percentage.

Generally, the GMs don't like candidates like Thomas — who became an overnight sensation as a 30-something reclamation project — because it proves just how wrong for how long they could be on a player that made a significant contribution to the Bruins' conference title.

Mason was the fallback choice on the other two ballots because he effectively saved Columbus' season after Leclaire's injury and looks as if he could be a star for years to come. Injuries kept Nabokov out a month — otherwise he might have threatened Brodeur's single-season wins record of 48.

Jack Adams (coach of the year)

Claude Julien, Boston Bruins (3 of 6 first-place votes)

Also receiving consideration: Andy Murray, St. Louis Blues, Ken Hitchcock, Columbus Blue Jackets, Todd McLellan, San Jose Sharks, Paul Maurice, Carolina Hurricanes, Brent Sutter, New Jersey Devils, Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks.

Probably the toughest call of all, given that no less than eight NHL coaches deserve serious consideration for the award. McLellan made a seamless adjustment in San Jose and led the Sharks to what looks like a President's Trophy win.

Midseason changes that brought Maurice to Carolina and Dan Bylsma to Pittsburgh helped those organizations execute complete about-faces. Brent Sutter did a nice job of holding New Jersey together through Brodeur's injury.

For all that, Julien's ability to lead the Bruins — considered hit-and-miss in many preseason analyses just to make the playoffs — to a conference title earned him the award, just ahead of Murray, who received two first-place votes. Murray's work to get the Blues into playoff contention with a young team, devastated by injuries, was truly extraordinarily and difficult to ignore.