And Julien, saying later that he gladly would have sacrificed any personal award for his goalie and defenseman to leave here as winners, picked up the Jack Adams Award as best coach. Ex-Bruins bench boss Pat Burns, gaunt from his years-long battle with cancer, presented the award to Julien, calling him to the stage inside the Palms Casino by referring to him as “mon ami Claude Julien.’’
“Yeah, when I heard him say, ‘mon ami,’ ’’ a beaming Julien, a fellow Francophone, said, “I kind of figured then it was a gimme.’’ Mon ami is French for “my friend.’’
Thomas, the forever-doubted former University of Vermont star, delivered the line of the night when he became the first Bruin since Pete Peeters (1983) to win the Vezina. He first acknowledged that he hadn’t allowed himself much time to think about winning it, in part because of the names of some of the “legends’’ to receive it since its inception in 1927.
“When you look at the names . . . ’’ he said. “I’ve been more worried about getting my name on a roster than about winning the Vezina Trophy.’’
Now 35 years old, and recently signed to a four-year $20 million deal, Thomas didn’t get his big NHL break until midway through the 2005-06 season, and 29 other NHL teams opted not to claim him as he made his way to Boston through waivers from the American Hockey League.
“You know, I bet if you asked a lot of those GMs, I bet they’re glad to have been proven wrong,’’ Thomas mused when off stage. “It’s a hard job, judging players. And, hey, I’m happy I made it through waivers, or maybe I wouldn’t have ended up in Boston.’’
The Vezina Award is chosen by the league’s 30 GMs, many of whom opted not to give Thomas a chance. The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association decides the majority of the trophies, including the Norris. The league’s broadcasters select the Adams Winner.
