Pekka Rinne, Trisha Yearwood, Dierks Bentley among stars slated for 2023 NHL Awards
What do you get when eight country music stars, four hockey legends, a comedian, a two-time Olympic medalist and a wrestler walk into an arena?
The 2023 NHL Awards, of course.
The league announced Wednesday its list of scheduled presenters for its annual awards show, which will be hosted Monday (7 p.m. CT, TNT) by Dierks Bentley at Bridgestone Arena.
Among the presenters scheduled to honor some of the NHL's best players are former Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne; outgoing Predators general manager David Poile; Hockey Hall of Famers Willie O'Ree and Mark Messier; country music artists Jessie James Decker, LOCASH, Dustin Lynch, Trevor Rosen, Darius Rucker, Jelly Roll and Trisha Yearwood; comedian Nate Bargatze; WWE superstar Sheamus; and two-time Olympic medalist Sarah Nurse.
Bentley's son Knox will serve as a special correspondent during the show.
"I'm representing country music, representing Nashville," Dierks Bentley told The Tennessean in early June. "I am a real hockey fan and it's an honor to be involved in these guys' huge night. I'm excited for my son to be involved as well."
Thirteen awards will be presented, including the league's most valuable player (Hart Trophy), outstanding goalie (Vezina), outstanding defenseman (Norris) and rookie of the year (Calder).
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Among the awards finalists are the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid; the Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk; the San Jose Sharks' Erik Karlsson; the Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar; and the Boston Bruins' Linus UIlmark and David Pastrnak.
The awards show will precede the league's entry draft, which will be held Wednesday and Thursday at Bridgestone.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Pekka Rinne, Trisha Yearwood among presenters for 2023 NHL Awards
