NHL 'mid-season' awards: Decided by fans

With regular season hockey taking a short hiatus for the NHL All-Star weekend, we asked fans to help crown the winners of our unofficial 'mid-season' awards and you made your choices.

Just for fun, we sought your opinion on some hot topics

CBC Sports · Posted: Jan 27, 2016 10:15 PM EST | Last Updated: January 28, 2016

Patrick Kane, left, has been a spark for the Chicago Blackhawks, the Florida Panthers have taken the league by storm, while all seven Canadian teams are currently outside of the playoff picture. (The Canadian Press/The Associated Press)

With regular season hockey taking a short hiatus for the NHL All-Star weekend, we asked fans to help crown the winners of our unofficial 'mid-season' awards.

Here's how you voted:

Biggest surprise: No Canadian teams in playoff picture

Nearly half of those who voted (45 per cent) were expecting more from the teams of the North. The last time there was an all-American NHL post-season was 46 years ago when there were only 12 teams in the league.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens failed to reach the playoffs that year, but if the mid-season picture holds, they'll have the company of five others.

Tough seeing all of the Canadian <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash">#NHL</a> teams currently out of the playoffs at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLAllStar?src=hash">#NHLAllStar</a> Break! <a href="https://t.co/UEWsemTUs1">pic.twitter.com/UEWsemTUs1</a>
—@BobMcDougall

For what it's worth, hockey commentator Don Cherry thinks things will change as the season goes on.

"I think Vancouver will make it and the Canadiens will be knocking on the door," Cherry said Wednesday. "At one time we had six [Canadian teams] in. I'd love to see six in, but I don't think it will happen."

Honourable mention: James Reimer among top goalies and Jaromir Jagr still going strong

Best storyline: John Scott

It's safe to say no one is surprised by this result. The enforcer has been the hottest topic of conversation since fans shot him to the top of the All-Star Game voting.

While the league was hoping he'd gracefully bow out, Scott didn't oblige and will now serve as Pacific captain in Sunday's 3-on-3 tournament.

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The only thing left to decide with this story is what talent he'll dazzle us with during the skills competition on Saturday.

Honourable mention: Canadiens start hot, go cold and Blackhawks' winning streak

Top performers: Tie

Granted this was a tough one. The Panthers meteoric rise in the standings and Patrick Kane's MVP-level play proved too tough to crown just one winner.

Panthers leading Atlantic, who saw this coming?

Florida tops the Atlantic division heading into the season's midway mark. Not many people were expecting the Panthers to climb back into playoff position for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

Jaromir Jagr and company have proved us all wrong. After their 12-0-0 run from Dec.15-Jan.10, they're almost a lock to make a deep run in the post-season.

Patrick Kane piling up the points

With all due respect to every other forward in the NHL, Patrick Kane just isn't fair. After 53 games, he has already equalled his career high for goals in a single season with 30.

With 73 total points and 29 games remaining, he's only 15 away from equalling his career high in that category as well.

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Honourable mention: Washington Capitals running away with Metro

Biggest disappointments: McDavid injured in rookie season

Edmonton Oilers rookie Connor McDavid was starting to heat up for his club, who have endured years of losing. Before he was sidelined with an injury, the 19-year-old had five goals and 12 points in 13 games.

He's nearing a return, but that won't be much consolation for eager fans who were hoping to see this potentially generational talent begin his NHL career on a high note.