Joe Thornton, Joonas Donskoi receive Sharks Foundation Awards
The pair were no brainers for their respective awards.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, media members (yes, even me) voted Joe Thornton and Joonas Donskoi the Sharks Foundation Player of the Year and Sharks Foundation Rookie of the Year, respectively. The case for each is relatively simple: Thornton led the Sharks in points with 82 and played out of his mind for the vast majority of the season.
Donskoi's case is simpler: Other than DeMelo's late push, he was the only rookie who hung with the team for the majority of the year. My ballot for Player of the Year was Thornton first, Joe Pavelski second and Martin Jones third. You can see the vote totals below and then a list of everyone who has won the respective awards.
This year's voting results below (5 points for 1st place vote; 3 points for 2nd place vote; 1 point for 3rd place vote):
1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Total | |
| Thornton | 19 | 7 | 3 | 119 |
| Pavelski | 7 | 9 | 5 | 67 |
| Burns | 4 | 8 | 10 | 54 |
| Jones | 3 | 9 | 18 | |
| Vlasic | 1 | 3 | 3 | 17 |
Past winners of the Sharks Foundation "Sharks Player of the Year" Award include:
- 2014-15 Joe Pavelski
- 2013-14 Joe Pavelski
- 2012-13 Antti Niemi
- 2011-12 Logan Couture
- 2010-11 Antti Niemi
- 2009-10 Patrick Marleau
- 2008-09 Patrick Marleau
- 2007-08 Evgeni Nabokov
- 2006-07 Joe Thornton
- 2005-06 Joe Thornton
- 2003-04 Patrick Marleau
- 2002-03 Teemu Selanne
- 2001-02 Mike Ricci
- 2000-01 Evgeni Nabokov
- 1999-00 Owen Nolan
- 1998-99 Steve Shields and Mike Vernon
- 1997-98 Mike Vernon
- 1996-97 Jeff Friesen
- 1995-96 Jamie Baker
- 1994-95 Ulf Dahlen
- 1993-94 Arturs Irbe
- 1992-93 Kelly Kisio
- 1991-92 Jeff Hackett
Sharks Foundation Award Winners by Year:
- 2015-16 Joonas Donskoi
- 2014-15 Melker Karlsson
- 2013-14 Matt Nieto & Tomas Hertl
- 2012-13 Matt Irwin
- 2011-12 Andrew Desjardins
- 2010-11 Logan Couture
- 2009-10 Jason Demers
- 2008-09 Tomas Plihal
- 2007-08 Torrey Mitchell
- 2006-07 Marc-Edouard Vlasic
- 2005-06 Milan Michalek
- 2003-04 Tom Preissing
- 2002-03 Jim Fahey
- 2001-02 Matt Bradley
- 2000-01 Evgeni Nabokov
- 1999-00 Brad Stuart
- 1998-99 Alexander Korolyuk
- 1997-98 Patrick Marleau, Marco Sturm, Andrei Zyuzin
- 1996-97 Stephen Guolla
- 1995-96 Marcus Ragnarsson
- 1994-95 Jeff Friesen