Kenan Thompson said he looks forward to hosting the 2022 NHL Awards on Tuesday, three years after hosting the last edition of the event live before the coronavirus pandemic.
The Emmy-winning actor and comedian will be in front and at the Armature Works Center in Tampa (19:00 ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) to honor the best players in the NHL during the one-hour show.
“I hope everyone enjoys it,” Thompson said. “We will keep it light and moving. It’s not about me, it’s about them and other people in the community who inspire, whether they’re helping diversity or just giving back as a whole, or a good example of what a good NHL citizen should be. That’s what night is for. “
Thompson said he will use some of his experience from 2019, when he hosted the event in Las Vegas.
“It was great,” he said. “No. 1, we were in Vegas, so it’s always fun and it was a big giant room [Vegas Golden] The knights simply had [reached the Stanley Cup Final] last year, so it was a blast for the hockey community there in Nevada, which is pretty new. It was nice to see that. And we had fun seeing the players off their pitches and seeing them as human beings. It was really cool. “
Although superstars and NHL celebrities will be present, Thompson said he looks forward to meeting and hearing the stories of the award winners.
Among the hosts are Seattle Kraken fan Nadia Popovichi, who found a cancer mole behind the glass on the neck of Vancouver Canucks Assistant Equipment Manager Red Hamilton; Assistant General Manager of Calgary Flames and ALS survivor Chris Snow; Milton Academy (Massachusetts) player Jake Thibaut, who was paralyzed from injury in September 2021; and emergency reserve goalkeeper Thomas Hodges, who overcame blindness in one eye to play in a game for the Anaheim Ducks this season.
“I think that’s what excites me the most,” Thompson said. “Strengthening those voices that need to be heard about what they are doing in the world. This will make everyone feel better. Players, of course, commit so much and sacrifice a lot, but it’s also nice to give John Q Everyman or Everywoman, the people who are the support network around the League. I think that’s just as important. “
Five awards will be presented during the show; Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player in the NHL), Vezina Trophy (Best Goalkeeper), Norris Trophy (Best Defender), Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) and Ted Lindsay Award (Best Player of the Year). NHL players).
The show will also recognize the winners of nine pre-announced NHL awards, as well as Noel Acton, winner of the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award for 2022, presented by MassMutual, and Lane Hutson, winner of the EJ McGuire Award for excellent achievements. of the candidate who best illustrates the commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.
During the show, all three finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award will be announced.
Growing up in Georgia, Thompson said he was not a fan of high school hockey when he landed a role in “D2: The Mighty Ducks.”
“It was all because of this movie,” Thompson said. “I didn’t even know how to skate before. Hockey was not a big deal when I was a kid; we usually watched football, basketball or baseball. But I had my 15th birthday on the first day of hockey camp, it was just like something that was so specific that I couldn’t turn away from it, and then I actually learned how to skate and play, and then the movies turned out to be an equally classic chapter in the history of American hockey, so I was happy. “
The longest-serving member of Saturday Night Live, Thompson recently finished his 19th season. He still found time to watch hockey games and even attend some of the New York Rangers’ playoff games.
“When the Garden swings, everyone is happy,” he said. “It’s a very intimate place. … it’s a very electric atmosphere, it’s really cool.”
Thompson heard about the Madison Square Garden viewing party for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning when the Rangers were on their way, and said it helped improve the fan experience. Colorado Avelanch were on their way to match 3 of the Stanley Cup final on Monday, but hosted a viewing party at the Ball Arena.
“I’m so happy that the sport takes the whole thing with the clock / back door in the final and the playoffs for the cities when the team leaves town,” he said. “I’m so surprised it took so long, but for the last 5-10 years, this thing with watch parties has been the right way to go. This is how you keep people supporting the economy around sports and around your city and just go out and have fun and keep that mood. That’s a good thing. “
With Avalanche leading 2-1 in the series of the best of 7, heading to match 4 on Wednesday, who does Thompson think will lift the Cup?
“Avalanche, these guys are the top scorers and they just kept showing that,” he said before Lightning’s 6-2 victory on Monday. “And Tampa has to conclude and figure out how they can raise theirs, but they will understand, because they’ve been fighting all this time to get to this point. We hope it goes super deep and it’s a nice dramatic ending. Leave everything on the ice. “
He is hoping for an exciting end to an exciting playoff for the Stanley Cup.
“It’s amazing this year. So much skill and talent on display, “said Thompson. “I have the feeling that there was at least game 6 in each round. The finale is when all the talent and speed is shown real, so you can see who is really great, who is really fast, who has skills.
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