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Will Arnett To Host 2016 NHL Awards

By Skinner Bachs
Published on: 09:16 PST, May 15, 2016

The 2016 NHL Awards ceremony will take place on June 22, 2016. As in the past, the festivities will happen for the seventh consecutive year in Las Vegas, but this time the setting will be at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, a first for the hospitality franchise.

Steve Mayer, who is the NHL Executive Vice President and Executive Producer of Programming and Creative Development, expressed his enthusiasm for what has become a league tradition.

“We look forward to being back in Las Vegas, which has been an ideal destination for our NHL Awards celebration.” Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, echoed Mayer’s excitement about the upcoming gala.

“We are excited for the NHL Awards to once again call Las Vegas home for their ultimate season ending celebration

“The partnership between two globally recognized brands combine for a weekend full of unparalleled customer experiences that can’t be found anywhere else.”

Another first for the NHL Awards will be a change in hosts. This time the master of ceremonies will be the star of Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Will Arnett. The Toronto native told NHL.com that he planned to be there as a participant, but he will also be there in the capacity of a fan. Is Arnett the perfect everyfan to host the awards? He’s not without his own connections.

“I guess I only really get starstruck by hockey players. I remember I went to the Olympics in Vancouver with Shanny, and I made him keep introducing me to hockey players. I would be like ‘start a conversation with Mats Sundin,’ and he’d be like ‘no man’ and I would say ‘just say hi to him,’ and he would, and I would say ‘oh my God, Mats Sundin,’ pretending like I didn’t know who it was.”

“Shanny” is Hall of Famer and fellow Torontonian Brendan Shanahan. The two have been fast friends for a long time. Even with that kind of association, Arnett admits to reverting to fanboy mode when he’s around the NHL’s best and brightest.

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The voice behind BoJack Horseman has every reason to be starstruck this year. From the red carpet interviews to the interstitial bumpers featuring glittery Las Vegas wildlife and the visiting heroes who suddenly have to talk and look cool and collected for the cameras, the NHL Awards serve as a time for fans to see all of their favorite players cleaned up and ready to take the stage if their name is called.

The NHL Awards honor players who lead the league statistically and in other ways, as leaders in the locker room and on the ice. Nominees are determined by their numbers for some awards and nominations by the Professional Hockey Writers Association for the qualitative rather than quantitative side of the awards. When it comes to the league’s version of superlative prizes, the PHWA member’s votes are tallied for the finalists, who are announced in early spring and the winners are revealed during the broadcast.

While network scheduling information is not yet available on the NHL official website, it is likely the red carpet pre-ceremony coverage and live broadcast of the NHL Awards will be available via streaming at NHL.com and on associated apps and channels on streaming service receivers and cable and satellite providers. It is also customary for local bloggers to live-tweet the event, so keep an eye on the #NHLAwards hashtag.

[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]

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