[News] PHWA votes to release award ballots starting this season

[sureLoss]

http://www.thephwa.com/news_article/...5-news-archive

The Professional Hockey Writers Association has voted by an overwhelming margin to reveal each voter's individual ballot following the 2018 National Hockey League Awards ceremony.

After an internal debate that stretched over many months, PHWA Members voted 81.3% in favour of full transparency, in a run-off conducted over a two-week period this March. This decision will result in the publication of each of the approximately 170 ballots, within days of the NHL Awards ceremony in Las Vegas in late June.

Following in the footsteps our brethren with the Baseball Writers Association of America, the time has come for hockey writers to be more publicly accountable for their voting patterns.

“As journalists we expect full transparency from the teams and people we cover,” said PHWA President Mark Spector. “Our Members are aware that the same is expected of us from our readers, and many voters have voluntarily revealed their ballots in the past. As a group, we have concluded that it is time to make full transparency part and parcel of voting on the NHL Awards.”

Despite the fact we feel that today’s voting process has evolved into the most fair and equitable process in the long history of the PHWA’s participation, in 2018 hockey fans want to know how each Member votes.

As critics and observers of the game ourselves, we recognize that our participation in Awards voting should be open to the scrutiny of our knowledgeable readers across the hockey world.

Members of the PHWA annually cast votes to decide major NHL Awards each spring in the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke, Masterton, Lady Byng and Conn Smythe trophies, as well as the end-of-season NHL All-Star and All-Rookie teams.

Awards voting closes prior to the beginning of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

So now we can tell which ones cost a player an award or the ultra homers

[GordonBlue]

it's about time!

and if MacKinnon is left off anyone's ballot for Hart, they should be kicked out.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

So now we'll have yet another reason to laugh at the Edmonton media when we see that they all voted all Oilers on every ballot?

Otherwise, this is really good news. More transparency is a good thing.

[Erick Estrada]

This is great as even though we all know the origins of who left Iginla out off their ballot of the Hart trophy in 2002 which enabled Theodore to just edge him it's great to have these guys outed in public. Some of these homer media writers will have a tougher time manipulating things like that in the future such as an Oilers writer possibly giving McDavid his first place vote and purposely leaving MacKinnon off his ballot.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This is great as even though we all know the origins of who left Iginla out off their ballot of the Hart trophy in 2002 which enabled Theodore to just edge him it's great to have these guys outed in public. Some of these homer media writers will have a tougher time manipulating things like that in the future like say an Oilers writer giving McDavid his first place vote and purposely leaving off MacKinnon.

Would we have known if the writer had not come out and said he left him off, probably not. I think it is a good move and will make them a little more accountable. If Spector hands in his preseason predictions he will be ridiculed in professional circles.

[Anduril]

I'm impressed that they actually voted to do this. It's great for fans since no doubt you'll see some after pieces from the writers explaining their rationale.

Of course you'll have the bad eggs who feel that it's appropriate to attack some online for their opinion (right or wrong).

[puckedoff]

The downside is there will be more incentive or pressure for them to vote in line with the herd

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

The downside is there will be more incentive or pressure for them to vote in line with the herd

I don't think that writers are going to call up other writers and check on who they are voting for to make sure they are in check. It's simply going to hopefully remove the manipulation ballots where you have writers in markets where their player is a front runner and they purposely leave his main competition off their ballot as was the case in 2002. I don't think it's going to stop the homer votes as I'm sure Edmonton media will be heavy McDavid and a few Flames writers may have Gaudeau or even Smith on their ballots but I have no issues with voters that have neither on their ballots. McDavid playing 25 minutes a game for a loser Oilers team often playing from behind is not my definition of most valuable player and Gaudreau has been great for the Flames but he's disappeared for stretches and the Flames are an underperforming team. As long as the writers don't leave off the no-brainers like Kucherov and MacKinnnon for example I don't see much criticism as long as they don't have a list full of homer reaches. You are going to have to accept for example that some Toronto writers are probably going to have Andersen on their ballots so don't think much will change but accountability is never a bad thing.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Anduril

I'm impressed that they actually voted to do this.

Knowing the PHWA and their past votes, "Yes" was the top answer so they just selected it.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

So now we'll have yet another reason to laugh at the Edmonton media when we see that they all voted all Oilers on every ballot?

Otherwise, this is really good news. More transparency is a good thing.

Mark Spector is safe, we all know he votes all-Oilers all the time.

"Who will win the Stanley Cup?"

- The Edmonton Oilers.

"Even without qualifying for the playoffs?"

- They, uh, the uh, the Oilers will find a way. Save me Messier!!!!!

[Locke]

On another note though, do other sports have media vote on player awards?

I'm genuinely asking because it seems ridiculous.

Shouldnt Awards be based on solid criteria?

"You had more points than everyone else. Here is your trophy for that."

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Locke

Mark Spector is safe, we all know he votes all-Oilers all the time.

"Who will win the Stanley Cup?"

- The Edmonton Oilers.

"Even without qualifying for the playoffs?"

- They, uh, the uh, the Oilers will find a way. Save me Messier!!!!!

Spector's preseason predictions for this season is fantastic comedy.

[Lumby Lager]

Originally Posted by Anduril

I'm impressed that they actually voted to do this. It's great for fans since no doubt you'll see some after pieces from the writers explaining their rationale.

Of course you'll have the bad eggs who feel that it's appropriate to attack some online for their opinion (right or wrong).

I am as well, this is a great decision for increasing the amount of offseason debate. Online forums and all of the major players in the media could see a good increase in advertising revenue. If nothing else it will create better mid summer topics here.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Spector's preseason predictions for this season is fantastic comedy.

He might get the Hart or Art Ross prediction right. Only because McLellan plays McDavid like 30 minutes a night.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Locke

On another note though, do other sports have media vote on player awards?

I'm genuinely asking because it seems ridiculous.

sticking to MVP awards, yes.

for baseball the MVP's are selected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

in the NFL the AP gives the awards and it's voted on by a panel of 50 sportswriters.

In the NBA, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

sticking to MVP awards, yes.

for baseball the MVP's are selected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

in the NFL the AP gives the awards and it's voted on by a panel of 50 sportswriters.

In the NBA, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

BBWWA also does the Cy Young, Edgar Martinez (the DH award), Manager of the Year and Rookie of the Year award.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

BBWWA also does the Cy Young, Edgar Martinez (the DH award), Manager of the Year and Rookie of the Year award.

looked it up and interesting the way they do the gold glove awards.

voted by the managers and coaches in each league. Managers are not permitted to vote for their own players. Additionally, a sabermatic component provided by Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) accounts for approximately 25 percent of the vote.