Another Wings great was also honored as Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, was given the inaugural lifetime achievement award by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

“The game is in great hands, not good hands, but great hands,” Howe said.

The Wings joined the Capitals in owning the ceremony. Detroit star Pavel Datsyuk won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player and the Selke Trophy as top defensive forward. He’s the first player in 73 years to win the Lady Byng three seasons in a row but said the Selke meant more, testimony to his two-way game.

Martin Brodeur, meanwhile, refuses to give up the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender. The New Jersey Devils stalwart won the award for the fourth time in five seasons, edging Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.

“I was really happy with the way I played,” said Brodeur. “(My health) has been great in the last four or five years. I don’t know if it was the rest during the lockout or what, but I feel great.”

His four Vezinas are second only to the six won by recently retired Dominik Hasek since the award started being voted on by the NHL’s 30 general managers in 1982.

An emotional Jason Blake won the Bill Masterton Trophy as the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger was diagnosed with leukemia just before the start of the regular season but never missed a game.

“I’ve been so lucky in life to play in the NHL, have three beautiful kids and be married to a wonderful woman,” he said. “I get to play the game I love at the highest level and I get to continue doing it as long as some team wants me.”

Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the King Clancy Trophy given to the player who shows leadership on and off the ice and contributes to his community. Lecavalier made a $3-million pledge to construct a pediatric cancer and blood disorders center at the All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., in October.

MORE FROM NHL

NHL Section Front

Ex-NHL All-Star dies in snowmobile accident Hossa lifts Red Wings over Ducks Sid's surge creates talk of 50-goal season Opinion: Good, bad of the '08-09 season so far Updates on Monday's NHL games Live odds Game matchups Injuries SCORES, STANDINGS, SCHEDULES, STATS Rotoworld: Latest NHL player news, rumors, more NHL Section Front   Add NHL headlines to your news reader: