First awarded following the 2006-07 season, the honor is given to “the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season.” Messier solicits suggestions from club and League personnel as well as NHL fans in compiling a list of potential candidates before personally selecting the three finalists and ultimately the winner.

Alfredsson, the NHL’s longest-serving active captain, is the Senators’ all-time leader in numerous categories, including games played, goals, assists and points. He has taken a leadership role off the ice as well, working with the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, and the Sens Foundation.

Brown has spent his entire eight-season NHL career with the Kings, serving as their captain for the past five seasons. He was selected as the Kings’ Most Popular Player this season and is known for his physical playing style, which consistently places him among the League leaders in hits.

Toews volunteers to grant wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and visits with patients at the local children’s hospital and the Misericordia Home in Chicago. Last fall, he returned home to join the Winnipeg Patrolmen Hockey Club and other NHL players for the “Goals for Dreams Hockey Challenge,” which helped raise $80,000 for the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Dream Factory, a charity that grants dreams for critically and chronically ill children.

Speaking to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun on the eve of the league’s annual GM meetings in Toronto, Murray said that with the Senators currently sitting in a playoff spot, he’s actually thinking about adding a high-end player to his injury-depleted roster, not subtracting one from it.

“We’ve got another two weeks,” Murray told the paper. “If we’re still playing hard and well, then I may take a look to see if we can do something. I’m certainly not going to give up a top young player at this point, but if there’s an ability to acquire someone who can help us as we go forward, absolutely.”

• Two league executives told QMI Agency that Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon is willing to listen to all offers because his club is virtually eliminated from the playoff race with only three weeks left to the April 3 trade deadline.
  
• Sidney Crosby has no problem with the NHL expansion. “It’s only two more teams. I don’t see it as that big an issue,” the captain said. “The league’s found a way to stay competitive with 30. It can do 32.”
• Sam Carchidi of Broad Street Bull insists that Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette is not on the hot seat. ”Flyers are not responding to Lavy, but I’m told the coach’s job is safe.”
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal lists the top 20 unrestricted free agents who could move on April 3, mostly as rentals. Corey Perry, Jarome Iginla, Ryane Clowe, Valtteri Filppula, David Clarkson, Daniel Alfredsson, Mark Streit, Brenden Morrow, Robyn Regehr, Nik Antropov, Ron Hainsey,  Ryan Whitney, Nikolai Khabibulin, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Matt Cullen, Ian White, Ryan Jones, Jordan Leopold, Ryan O’Byrne, Stephen Weiss.

• According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, the St. Louis Blues are in the market for a top-four, left-handed defenceman that can be paired with either Alex Pietrangelo or Kevin Shattenkirk. LeBrun goes on to say that if the Blues can’t fill that need by the deadline, it will be something that GM Doug Armstrong will try to accomplish in the off-season.
• Craig Custance of ESPN.com listed the top 20 players who have expiring contracts at the end of the season that could help out teams trying to make a push. Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry, Ottawa Senators winger Daniel Alfredsson, New Jersey Devils forward David Clarkson, Calgary Flames winger Jarome Iginla and Washington Capitals centre Mike Ribeiro top the list. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Clarke MacArthur, Senators defenceman Sergei Gonchar and Winnipeg Jets forward Nik Antropov are other players mentioned on the list that play for a Canadian team.
• A report on NESN.com states that the New York Islanders could move a lot of players at the deadline with forward Brad Boyes, defencemen Mark Streit and Lubomir Visnovsky and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov all being free-agents at the end of the season.
• Ansar Khan of mlive.com states that while defenceman Ian White is unhappy with being scratched for the club’s last five games, that he hasn’t asked the club to trade him. “We’re not there yet,” White said. “This is Game 5 (being scratched), you play so many games in a condensed period, it can get away from you pretty quick. All the sudden you look, after the weekend that’s seven straight games, if you don’t play. “You just try to get a determination of where (Babcock) thinks you fit and where [GM Ken Holland] thinks you fit, now and going forward.” The 28-year-old White is in the final year of a two-year, $5.75 million contract and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

• Ansar Khan of MLive.com suggests the Detroit Red Wings could cut Jan Mursak loose — via trade or waivers – in the next six weeks. ”Mursak will have a tough time cracking the lineup when everyone – or most everyone – is healthy. And it wouldn’t be any easier for him next season, when the club must make room for Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Joakim Andersson, all of whom are ahead of Mursak in the pecking order. That’s why I don’t think Mursak has a long-term future with the organization. If they need to move or waive a forward before the April 3 trade deadline due to lack of roster space, Mursak seems like he would be the odd-man out.”
  
• Michael Russo tweeted this morning that Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall has a disciplinary hearing this afternoon for last night’s hit on Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck.
• Allan Muir of SI.com rounds up some of the rumors regarding Daniel Alfredsson, Stephen Weiss, Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Ray Whitney and Ryan O’Reilly

• Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano was fined $10,000 by the NHL on Tuesday for his slew foot on Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
• TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun discuss if the the Ottawa Senators should consider moving Daniel Alfredsson if the team plays itself out of contention.
• The NHL will determine today whether the Vancouver Canucks Jannik Hansen will be disciplined for a hit to the head on Chicago Blackhawks star Marian Hossa Tuesday night but Hansen himself thinks he did nothing wrong.

• Boston Bruins center Marc Savard tweeted Monday that he is not making progress in his recovery from post-concussion syndrome and that “there is no comeback in the foreseeable future.”
• Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane to the growing list of stars playing overseas during the NHL lockout. Kane has agreed to a deal with EHC Biel in the Swiss League.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets are nearing a deal that would see John Davidson hired as president of hockey operations, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
• For 48 hours last week, the National Hockey League allowed its owners and general managers to answer questions directly from their players regarding the NHL’s latest CBA proposal. But the NHL Players Association was not informed about the window of opportunity.
• Daniel Alfredsson is still unsure about whether he will return to the NHL once the lockout ends, according to the Ottawa Sun. ”I think the longer it’s been going here I don’t feel as eager to get back,” Alfredsson said. “”I’d say I’m more relaxed. If it happens, it happens.” Should the lockout continue through January, Alfredsson doesn’t seem totally convinced about continuing his playing career.

“Daniel is an exceptional captain whose commitment to his teammates and to the great City of Ottawa is second to none,” said Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk in a statement issues Tuesday morning. “Daniel expects a lot out of himself both on and off the ice so I fully understand how important a decision this was for him and his family. I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome and look forward to Daniel having a great year and adding to his long list of extraordinary achievements with our hockey club.”

“Daniel’s contributions to this hockey team cannot be understated. He is a leader and a mentor to many of our young players,” said GM Bryan Murray. “Daniel is also a great hockey player and we expect him to return and continue to be one of our best players as we look to improve on last year’s accomplishments.”

In his 16th year in the NHL and with the Senators in 2011-12, Alfredsson scored 27 goals and added 32 assists for 59 points in 75 games, while recording 18 penalty minutes and a plus-16 rating. He scored two goals in four games during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the New York Rangers.

Following the season, Alfredsson was named the 2012 winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the annual NHL award presented to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.

A six-time NHL all-star, Alfredsson won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 1996 and was nominated for the 2004 Lady Byng Trophy as the player demonstrating the most sportsmanship and playing ability.

“I’m excited to get ready for another season,” said Alfredsson. “I’ve been training for about a month and a half and my body feels a lot further ahead of where it was last year at this point. I expect to come into camp stronger and fitter than I did last year.”

“I spoke to my family (about the decision to return) and we are all on the same page – if I am motivated to continue to play, then they will be supportive of me playing. It really came down to asking if I had the motivation to come back and be happy about the decision to return. I definitely feel that way and know that I am ready and have more in the tank to give.”

Alfredsson, the team’s captain since Oct. 2, 1999 and the NHL’s longest serving active captain, is Ottawa’s franchise leader in numerous categories, including games played (1,131), goals (416), assists (666) and points (1,082). He also leads the Senators in most playoff categories, including games played (111), goals (47), assists (43) and points (90).

The right-winger has represented his native Sweden internationally on 13 occasions, (IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship – 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2012; World Cup – 1996, 2004; Olympic Winter Games – 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), highlighted by his Olympic gold-medal win in 2006.

Alfredsson was Ottawa’s second sixth-round selection (No. 133) in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He signed his current contract with the Senators on Oct. 30, 2008.

Calder Trophy (Top Rookie)
Gabriel Landeskog

Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Patrice Bergeron

Lady Byng Trophy (Skill/Sportsmanship)
Brian Campbell

Masterton Trophy (Perseverance, Dedication)
Max Pacioretty

General Manager of the Year
Doug Armstrong (St. Louis Blue)

Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)
Henrik Lundqvist

Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Erik Karlsson

Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player to his team)
Evgeni Malkin

Art Ross Trophy (League leader in points)
Evgeni Malkin

Ted Lindsay Trophy (NHL’s outstanding player voted by players)
Evgeni Malkin

Jack Adams Award (Top Head Coach)
Ken Hitchcock

NHL Foundation Award (Community Service)
Mike Fisher

William M. Jennings Trophy (Fewest goals scored against min. 25 games)
Brian Elliott
Jaroslav Halak

Announced:
Calder Trophy (Top Rookie)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Gabriel Landeskog
Adam Henrique

Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Patrice Bergeron
David Backes
Pavel Datsyuk

Lady Byng Trophy (Skill/Sportsmanship)
Brian Campbell
Jordan Eberle
Matt Moulson

Masterton Trophy (Perseverance, Dedication)
Daniel Alfredsson
Joffrey Lupul
Max Pacioretty

General Manager of the Year
Doug Armstrong (St. Louis Blue)
David Poile (Nashville Predators)
Dale Tallon (Florida Panthers)

To be announced:

Wednesday, April 25
Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)
Henrik Lundqvist
Jonathan Quick
Pekka Rinne

Thursday, April 26
Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Zdeno Chara
Erik Karlsson
Shea Weber 

Friday, April 27
Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player to his team)
Henrik Lundqvist
Evgeni Malkin
Steven Stamkos

Monday, April 30
Jack Adams Award (Top Head Coach)
Ken Hitchcock
Paul MacLean
John Tortorella 

NHL Foundation Award (Community Service)
Mike Fisher
John-Michael Liles
Matt Moulson