RED WING PAVEL DATSYUK CONTINUES QUEST FOR EA SPORTS NHL 13 COVER

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… All-Star Center Pitted Against New York Islanders Forward John Tavares in Quarterfinals of Online Vote; Fans Able to Cast Ballots Starting Today…

Detroit, MI… In addition to currently competing for Team Russia at the 2012 IIHF World Championships in Europe, Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk is also set to take part in a weeklong battle against fellow NHL All-Star John Tavares for the right to advance to the semifinals in EA Sports’ NHL 13 Cover Vote Challenge. Online voting for this round began earlier today at http://covervote.nhl.com  and will end at 11:59 p.m. on May 23.

Datsyuk defeated St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie in the last round of voting and will face either New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist or Nashville Predators netminder Pekka Rinne should he defeat Tavares. A final champion will be determined during the week of May 29-June 4 when the two remaining candidates go head-to-head.

If Datsyuk is victorious in the Cover Vote Challenge he would become the first Red Wing to adorn the cover of EA Sports’ long-running NHL franchise since Steve Yzerman earned the distinction in 1996. He would also join Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (MLB 2K12) and Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (Madden 2013) as Detroit-based athletes to be featured on the covers of high-profile video game titles this year, giving sports fans in the Motor City a unique ‘hat trick’ of sorts and marking the first time in history that three major league athletes from the same city have appeared on the cover of a video game at the same time.

Fans who register online can vote as often as they like, with their first 10 ballots cast on any given day earning an entry in the Cover Vote Sweepstakes for a chance to win a VIP trip to the 2012 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Twitter users are invited to use the hash tag #NHL13Cover when championing their favorite players’ candidacy throughout the duration of this campaign.

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RED WINGS FORWARD PAVEL DATSYUK BATTLING FOR COVER OF EA SPORTS’ NHL 13

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Detroit Sports Fans can Score a Hat Trick by Casting Their Votes and Having All-Star Center join Verlander and Johnson on High-Profile Video Game Covers This Year.

Detroit, MI… All-Star Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk is currently in the running to have his likeness adorn the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 13 – the most popular hockey video game on the planet. The last time a Red Wing made an appearance on the cover of the long-running franchise was in 1996 when Steve Yzerman earned the distinction.

An online vote is currently being held at http://covervote.nhl.com  to determine which NHLer will grace EA Sports’ next game cover. Datsyuk is currently going head-to-head with St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie in a weeklong vote, with the winner set to advance along the championship bracket into the quarterfinals. A final champion will be determined during the week of May 29-June 4 when the two remaining candidates go head-to-head. If Datsyuk is victorious, he would join Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (MLB 2K12) and Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (Madden 2013) as Detroit-based athletes to be featured on the covers of high-profile video game titles this year, giving sports fans in the Motor City a unique ‘hat trick’ of sorts and marking mark the first time in history that three major league athletes from the same city have appeared on the cover of a video game at the same time.

Fans who register online can vote as often as they like, with their first ten ballots cast on any given day earning an entry in the Cover Vote Sweepstakes for a chance to win a VIP trip to the 2012 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Twitter users are invited to use the hash tag #NHL13Cover when championing their favorite players’ candidacy throughout the duration of this campaign. 

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DATSYUK VOTED SELKE TROPHY FINALIST

NEW YORK (April 23, 2012) -- Centers David Backes of the St. Louis Blues, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings are the three finalists for the 2011-12 Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is awarded "to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game," the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Selke Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 20, during the 2012 NHL Awards from Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The 2012 NHL Awards will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network in the United States and CBC in Canada.

Following are the finalists for the Selke Trophy, in alphabetical order:

David Backes, St. Louis Blues
Backes had the highest average ice time per game among forwards (19:59) on the club that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL by a wide margin. The 6'3", 225-lb. center again was a punishing physical presence, doling out a team-leading 226 hits, joining Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown as the only players to record 200 hits or more in each of the past five seasons. Backes led the Blues in face-offs (1,353), blocked 72 shots and posted a +15 rating. The Blues captain is an NHL Trophy finalist for first time in his seven-year NHL career and is the first Blues player vying for the Selke Trophy since Michal Handzus finished second in 2000.

Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Bergeron led the NHL in plus-minus (+36), posting a +18 rating both at home and on the road, helping the Bruins rank second in the Eastern Conference in team defense (2.39 GAA). Appearing in a single-season
career-high 81 games, he topped all Bruins forwards in shorthanded time on ice (1:48 per game) and was dominant in the face-off circle, posting a 59.2% winning percentage (973 of 1,641) to rank second in the League behind Chicago's Jonathan Toews (59.4%). Bergeron is an NHL Trophy finalist for the first time and could become the second Bruins player to capture Selke honors, joining Steve Kasper (1982).

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Datsyuk continued his mastery of separating opponents from the puck in 2011-12 by ranking third in the NHL in takeaways (97), and his stickhandling and passing skills helped the Red Wings' renowned puck possession game. Datsyuk posted a +21 rating and was the club's top face-off man, posting a 56.2% winning percentage (702 of 1,249) -- his eighth consecutive season posting a win rate above 53%. Datsyuk has been voted a Selke finalist for the fifth consecutive year, matching the streaks of Montreal's Guy Carbonneau (1986 through 1990) and Bob Gainey (1978 through 1982) as the longest since the award was introduced in 1978.
History
The trophy was presented in 1977 by the National Hockey League Board of Governors in honor of Frank J. Selke, one of the great architects of Montreal and Toronto championship teams.

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DATSYUK NAMED SELKE TROPHY FINALIST

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NEW YORK (April 27, 2011) -- Centers Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks are the three finalists for the 2010-11 Frank Selke Trophy, which is awarded "to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game," the National Hockey League announced today. 
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Selke Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 22, during the 2011 NHL Awards from the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas. The 2011 NHL Awards will be broadcast by VERSUS in the United States and CBC in Canada. 
Following are the finalists for the Selke Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings A master at getting and keeping the puck, Datsyuk ranked 11th in the League in takeaways with 71 despite being limited to 56 games due to injury. Datsyuk tied for second on the Red Wings in plus-minus with a +11 rating and was the club's top face-off man, posting a 54.6% winning percentage (429 of 785) -- his seventh consecutive season posting a win rate above 53%. Datsyuk could become the first player to win the Selke Trophy for four consecutive seasons since Bob Gainey of the Montreal Canadiens won it the first four seasons it was presented, from 1978 through 1981.
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks Kesler helped the Canucks record the lowest team goals-against average in the NHL (2.20) for the first time in franchise history. He ranked fourth among NHL forwards in blocked shots (80), appeared in all 82 games and averaged a career-high 20:29 in ice time to lead all Vancouver forwards. The speedy center ranked sixth among NHL centers in face-offs taken (1,496), winning a team-best and career-high 57.4% of them (859), dished out 124 hits; recorded a team-high 65 takeaways and posted a +24 rating. Kesler is a Selke Trophy finalist for the third consecutive year, finishing second in 2010 and third in 2009.
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks Toews led all Chicago forwards in plus-minus and ranked second on the club overall with a career-high +25 rating. He took 1,653 face-offs, second in the NHL behind Carolina's Eric Staal (1,751), and won a League-leading 937 of them (56.7%). He recorded 95 takeaways, also second in the NHL behind San Jose's Joe Thornton (114), delivered 74 hits and blocked 28 shots. The Blackhawks captain, who turns 23 on Friday, is a first-time Selke finalist and a second-time NHL trophy finalist -- he finished third in Calder Trophy voting for the League's top rookie in 2008.
History The trophy was presented in 1977 by the National Hockey League Board of Governors in honor of Frank J. Selke, one of the great architects of Montreal and Toronto championship teams.

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