Guerin, MacFarland, Verbeek Lead Nhl Awards GM of the Year Race
Bill Guerin, Chris MacFarland and Pat Verbeek were named finalists for the nhl awards Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, putting three first-time finalists on the same short list. The winner is chosen after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by league general managers and a panel of NHL executives and print and broadcast media.
Guerin’s Wild season
Guerin reached the finalist stage for the first time after a season that pushed Minnesota into third place in the Central Division at 46-24-12. The Wild also won a playoff series for the first time since 2015, and Kirill Kaprizov led the club with 45 goals and 89 points.
He added defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 12, and Hughes finished third among defensemen in points after the trade with 54 in 48 games. Guerin has run the Wild since Aug. 21, 2019.
MacFarland and the Avalanche
MacFarland’s case rests on a Colorado team that finished with the NHL’s best record at 55-16-11 and led the standings every day from Nov. 1 through the end of the season. The Avalanche also won the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league.
He helped build that team with moves that included signing defenseman Brent Burns in the offseason and acquiring center Brock Nelson prior to the deadline last season. Nelson scored 33 goals this season and ranked third on the Avalanche, which also advanced to the second round. MacFarland was promoted to general manager on July 11, 2022.
Verbeek’s Ducks rise
Verbeek guided Anaheim to its first playoff berth since 2018, then the Ducks beat the two-time Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers in six games in the first round. Anaheim also set a franchise record with 265 goals.
His roster work ran through the offseason and into the season, from signing Mikael Granlund and trading for Chris Kreider to drafting Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson. Verbeek also acquired Cutter Gauthier on Jan. 8, 2024, and Gauthier led the Ducks with 41 goals this season. Verbeek, hired on Feb. 4, 2022, said, "I think this award is really an organizational award," and would be the first Ducks general manager to win since Bob Murray in 2013-14.
