NEW YORK (May 16, 2018) – Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets, George McPhee of the Vegas Golden Knights and Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the three finalists for the 2017-18 NHL General Manager of the Year Award, the National Hockey League announced today.

Voting for this award was conducted among the NHL general managers and a panel of League executives, print and broadcast media at the conclusion of the Second Round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 20, during the 2018 NHL Awards™ presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Following are the finalists for the NHL General Manager of the Year Award, in alphabetical order:

Kevin Cheveldayoff, Winnipeg Jets

Under Cheveldayoff's leadership the Jets enjoyed their finest regular season (52-20-10, 114 points) and have advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Winnipeg set club records for regular-season wins and points, and ranked second in the NHL's overall standings. Hired as Jets GM when the club relocated from Atlanta, Cheveldayoff retained key Thrashers (Dustin Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom, Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler) and drafted 11 of the 24 players who have appeared for the club in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including top picks in six consecutive NHL Drafts: Mark Scheifele (2011), Jacob Trouba (2012), Josh Morrissey (2013), Nikolaj Ehlers (2014), Kyle Connor (2015) and Patrik Laine(2016). The first-time GM Award finalist further bolstered the squad with the 2017-18 trade deadline acquisitions of Paul Stastny and Joe Morrow, who have scored four game-winning goals in the postseason (Stastny 3, Morrow 1).

George McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights

McPhee built a Golden Knights team (51-24-7, 109 points) that made history by becoming the first modern-era expansion team from any of the four North American pro sports leagues to start from scratch and win its division. Vegas added to its list of accomplishments in the postseason, becoming just the third club in NHL history to win multiple playoff series in its inaugural season. Featuring a roster assembled by McPhee largely from the NHL Expansion Draft -- conducted less than three months before training camp opened -- Vegas started the season 8-1-0. They posted their 34th victory on Feb. 1 to set the NHL record for wins by a team in its inaugural season with 32 games remaining. Eleven Golden Knights players recorded career-best point totals, including the team's top five scorers: William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, David Perron, Reilly Smith and Erik Haula. McPhee was a finalist for the GM Award in 2009-10 with the Washington Capitals.

Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Yzerman is the architect of a Lightning team that set franchise records for wins (54) and points (113), captured its first division title since 2004, and is competing in the Conference Finals for the third time in four seasons. Yzerman made several player acquisitions through free agency and trades, adding to a talented roster of homegrown players that includes 100-point scorer Nikita Kucherov, captain Steven Stamkos, Norris Trophy finalist Victor Hedman and Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy. Yzerman traded for rookie defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and signed free agents Chris Kunitz and Dan Girardi last summer, and acquired Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller at the trade deadline in February. The eight-year LightningGM is a finalist for the award for the third time, capturing the trophy in 2014-15 and finishing second in the voting in 2010-11, his first season in Tampa Bay.

2018 NHL Awards Finalists (in alphabetical order)

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (perseverance and dedication to hockey)

Brian Boyle, New Jersey Devils

Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers

Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes

Calder Memorial Trophy (top rookie)

Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders

Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks

Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes

Frank J. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward)

Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player to his team)

Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Jack Adams Award (top head coach)

Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche

Bruce Cassidy, Boston Bruins

Gerard Gallant, Vegas Golden Knights

James Norris Memorial Trophy (top defenseman)

Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (player best combining sportsmanship and ability)

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights

Ryan O'Reilly, Buffalo Sabres

Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award

Deryk Engelland, Vegas Golden Knights

Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers

Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets

King Clancy Memorial Trophy (humanitarian award)

Daniel & Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators

Jason Zucker, Minnesota Wild

NHL General Manager of the Year Award

Kevin Cheveldayoff, Winnipeg Jets

George McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights

Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player as voted by the players)

Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

The winners of the NHL’s regular-season statistic-based awards also will be recognized in Las Vegas. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavidcaptured his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy as the League’s scoring champion, Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin claimed his seventh career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the League’s goal-scoring leader and Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings earned his second career William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltender who played at least 25 games for the club allowing the fewest goals.

In addition, the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award will be presented for the first time at the 2018 NHL Awards. Named after a hockey legend, the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award recognizes an individual who - through the game of hockey - has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society. This award aims to recognize community heroes who seize everyday opportunities to make better people through hockey. A committee, including O’Ree himself, will narrow the field down to three finalists from all submitted nominations before opening online voting to the public from May 25 to June 1.