Shea Weber wins all-important Mark Messier Leadership Award

Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber captured the 2015-16 Mark Messier Leadership Award, which may have lost a title sponsor in Bridgestone but none of its immense importance at the NHL’s postseason awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday. 

Weber is able to add the Messier to a trophy case that includes Olympic gold and world junior gold, along with whatever they give out for the hardest shot at the All-Star Game. We imagine it’s a plaster cast of one of Zdeno Chara’s hands.

"I mean, it’s a huge honor to be nominated to come to these awards. It’s pretty special to win it," Weber said. "From an all-time great leader like Mark Messier, it means a lot. Especially with the guys I was nominated with. They easily could have won it. It’s really special." 

The Messier is presented “in recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community as well as “recognizes an individual as a superior leader in hockey and as a contributing member of society.”

According to the NHL:

Messier solicits suggestions from club and League personnel and NHL fans in compiling a list of potential candidates. Selection of the three finalists and the ultimate winner is Messier’s alone. Other finalists for this year’s honor were Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and John Tavares of the New York Islanders.

Weber – along with teammate Pekka Rinne – started the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, which raises money and donates tickets to patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. That initiative has contributed more than $700,000 since its inception in 2013-14. In his hometown of Sicamous, B.C., Weber partners with the Sicamous Shootout to host a golf tournament in support of the BC Cancer Society.

"I'm a believer that you don't really go out and tell people about (charity), you just do it. Our '365 Fund' is known about but when you go to the children's hospital I don't like to be followed with cameras, I don't like to have all the pictures and stuff," Weber said. "I just like to do it for the right reasons."

Congrats to Shea Weber and the people of Earth. 

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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