“My first movie role was in ‘D2: The Mighty Ducks’ so my connection to hockey dates back to my childhood,” said Thompson. “I have a great deal of admiration for hockey players and the NHL, so I’m excited to be a part of the 2019 NHL Awards show and its celebration of the year’s best performances.”

This summer, Thompson will serve as the executive producer and judge alongside Chrissy Teigen, Jeff Foxworthy and host Amanda Seales on NBC’s comedy competition series “Bring The Funny.” Nickelodeon recently announced that Thompson also will executive produce the upcoming “All That” reboot.

“We are thrilled to have Kenan as the host of the 2019 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone,” said Steve Mayer, NHL Chief Content Officer & Executive Vice President. “Twenty-five years after making his big screen debut in a hockey movie, we are psyched that he will return to his roots to host this year’s event.”

The 2019 NHL Awards™ presented by Bridgestone will honor the best regular-season players in a wide range of categories, including most valuable player (Hart Trophy), outstanding goaltender (Vezina Trophy), outstanding defenseman (Norris Trophy) and outstanding rookie (Calder Trophy); the Ted Lindsay Award, which is presented annually to the “most outstanding player” in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), also will be awarded.

NHL Network™, NHL.com and NHL Social™ will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2019 NHL Awards™ presented by Bridgestone as well as the red carpet arrivals. Fans can follow the festivities across the NHL’s social media channels via the official hashtag #NHLAwards.