Fans outraged that Matthews finishes 2nd for Lady Byng after offseason scandal!

Colorado Avalanche top forward Nathan MacKinnon has won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, the NHL announced Friday night. And while we do believe the star forward deserves the title, we are even more relieved to see that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews isn’t the winner. 

The award goes to “the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”

And well, we all remember how Matthews wasn’t such a gentleman in the summer of 2019. Fans remember too and were outraged to find out last month that he was a nominee, but also tonight when they saw that he was the top finalist, finishing second ahead of St. Louis Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly. 

“Auston Matthews, a dude who harassed a female security guard, made her fear for her safety, and then mooned her had the SECOND MOST votes for an award for a player “who exhibits the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct.”

The NHL is a joke league,” writes one fan on Twitter. 

While charges were dismissed, we all remember when a female security guard at a condo complex in Scottsdale made the complaint after she said Matthews and a group of males tried to open her vehicle as she sat inside doing paperwork at 2 a.m. The complainant said she got out her car and confronted Matthews, who she said appeared to be intoxicated. He reportedly walked away, dropped his pants, bent over and grabbed his buttocks, though the complainant said he appeared to keep his underwear on. The report said surveillance video shows a male subject walking toward the complex elevators with his pants around his ankles.

Matthews apologized for putting a distraction on the team or distress any individual. However, some fans have rejected his apology and still cannot believed he was considered for a gentleman’s award. 

MacKinnon had a career-low 12 penalty minutes during the regular season while posting the fifth-most points in the NHL with 93. He is also a finalist for the Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) and Ted Lindsay Award, which goes to the top player as voted by his peers.