We don't know when Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final will be, but we do know the NHL's major award winners will be announced before that game.

The league said today that winners of the Calder, Hart, Norris, Lindsay and Vezina will be announced as a lead-in to Game 2 at 6 p.m. that night in an hour-long program.

The day before, at 4 p.m., winners of the Masterton, Selke, Adams, Clancy, Lady Byng and leadership awards will be named.

Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy (best defenseman) and Josh Harding is one of three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Award (perseverence and dedication to hockey).

The show before Game 2 will be co-produced by NBC and the CBC from the site of the game. The previous day's program will be televised by the NHL Network.

Following are the 2013 NHL Awards finalists, in alphabetical order:

BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY (Perseverance and dedication to hockey)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Josh Harding, Minnesota Wild
Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (Top rookie)
Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY (Top defensive forward)
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY (Most valuable player to his team)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
John Tavares, New York Islanders

JACK ADAMS AWARD (Top head coach)
Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks
Paul MacLean, Ottawa Senators
Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY (Top defenseman)
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild

LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY (Best sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability)
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Matt Moulson, New York Islanders
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

MARK MESSIER NHL LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTED BY BRIDGESTONE
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

NHL GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens
Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks
Ray Shero, Pittsburgh Penguins

TED LINDSAY AWARD (Most outstanding player as voted by members of the NHLPA)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

VEZINA TROPHY (Top goaltender)
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks
 

The Wild set its season ticket prices for next season, and there is an average increase of 4.5 percent per ticket.

Season ticket per-game prices range from $23 to $92.

Prices for single-game tickets won't come until at least August.

"We're continuing to provide an improved product, and along with that sometimes comes a price increase," said COO Matt Majka.

The Wild signed free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to lofty contracts last summer, and made the playoffs before a five-game exit to Chicago.

"We feel that we've stepped up as an organization in a substantial way, but we respect the choices that fans have in front of them and we will continue to work to earn their support," Majka said.

Majka said the average price of NHL ticket prices increased 12 percent over the past three years as Wild prices remained the same. He said average ticket prices for Wild games ranks between 15th and 17th in the NHL.

Here is the team's release:

The Wild today announced season ticket prices for the 2013-14 National Hockey League season will range from $23 to $92. Renewal information will be emailed and mailed to Season Ticket Holders starting today.

“We are committed to winning and to giving fans a great experience when they come to Xcel Energy Center,” said Chief Operating Officer Matt Majka. “This marks the first time we have raised season ticket prices in three years and our average season ticket price will remain in the middle of the NHL.”

As in past seasons, Season Ticket Holders who renew their tickets by the renewal deadline of Friday, June 21 at 11:59 p.m. will be eligible for special incentives through the popular Wild Rewards Program, including options to get food and beverage or merchandise gift cards ranging in value from $50 to $300 per account, access to special events and more, based on the payment plan selected.

2013-14 MINNESOTA WILD SEASON TICKET PRICES
RBC Wealth Management Club Level
Sides $90
Ends $80
Lower Level
Sides $92
Double Attack Corners $78
Single Attack Corners $73
Double Attack Ends $72
Single Attack Ends $67
Upper Level
Sides $45
Ends $23
 

Niklas Backstrom, who missed the playoffs for the Wild because of a sports hernia, had surgery to repair the hernia today. The Wild said he would be fully recovered for next season.

Here is the team's release:

Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher announced that goaltender Niklas Backstrom underwent successful sports hernia surgery today by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, Pa. Backstrom is expected to be fully recovered for the start of the 2013-14 season.

Wild goalie Josh Harding, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year, is one of three finalists for the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The award goes to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. It is named for the former North Stars forward, who is the only player in league history to die as a result of injuries suffered on the ice.

The other finalists are Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh and Adam McQuaid of Boston.

Harding, 28, played in five regular season games and five playoff games for the Wild.  He missed most of the season while battling issues related to medicating his illness.

Here is the NHL's release on the award: 

NEW YORK (May 14, 2013) -- Center Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh
Penguins, goaltender Josh Harding of the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Adam
McQuaid of the Boston Bruins are the three finalists for the 2012-13 Bill
Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best
exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to
hockey,” the National Hockey League announced today.

A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association
(PHWA) is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in
Bloomington, Minn., in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.

The local chapters of the PHWA submitted nominations for the
Masterton Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season and the top three
vote-getters were designated as finalists. The winner will be announced
during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, with more detail on format to be
released at a later date.

Following are the finalists for the Masterton Trophy, in alphabetical
order:

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Crosby took to the ice in 2012-13 following two seasons in which he
had missed extended time due to concussion symptoms. His offseason training
and preparation paid off in a remarkable start to the season, as he
recorded points in nine of his first 11 games. He continued his torrid
scoring into March, helping the Penguins post 15 consecutive wins. Crosby
led the League in points by a double-digit margin on March 30, when he was
struck in the face with a puck. He underwent surgery that night for a
broken jaw and significant dental work was required in later days while he
worked toward a return to the Penguins lineup.

Josh Harding, Minnesota Wild

When faced with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, an incurable
autoimmune disease, last fall, Harding made it clear that his career wasn’t
over. In his first start of the season, Harding made 24 saves to shut out
the Dallas Stars 1-0 on Jan. 20. On Feb. 12, after feeling ill from
medications treating the disease, he was placed on Injured Reserve and
missed 33 games as he continued treatment. However, the netminder continued
his fight with the disease and, after a two-game conditioning assignment
with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, was activated from
Injured Reserve on April 22 and returned to the Wild lineup.

Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins

McQuaid suffered a season-threatening injury in September when his
right arm grew increasingly swollen. He was diagnosed with a condition
known as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome that was causing dangerous blood clots to
form in his body. After undergoing two emergency surgeries to remove the
blood clots, the defenseman was deemed unfit to continue his normal
offseason workouts in order to give his body adequate time to heal.
McQuaid’s dedication to his rehabilitation efforts later in the fall
hastened his recovery and he skated alongside his teammates on opening
night of the 2012-13 season against the New York Rangers at TD Garden.

History

The trophy was presented by the NHL Writers’ Association in 1968 to
commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North
Stars who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance,
sportsmanship and dedication to hockey and who died on January 15, 1968.

UPDATE: In today's session with the media, Fletcher said much the same. Yeo was alongside him and added this:

When asked about his growth as a coach, Yeo said he believes he and his staff did some things that made the Wild a tougher team to play against this year--and he expects that improvement to continue next season, from coaches and players alike. He keeps notes throughout the season and will go through those in the coming weeks to identify issues and potential solutions.

"There were areas where we helped give our players a better chance,'' he said. "We have to do the same next year, We can't just hope all of a sudden we sign 12 goal scorers. We have to do more on our side when we talk about shooting percentage. Is there something we can do different or better? We'll look at that.''

Yeo addressed the speculation that Backstrom's injury may have been caused by overuse. He and Fletcher noted that seven goalies played more than Backstrom and did not get hurt. "It's what we were forced to do,'' he said of starting Backstrom in 27 of the last 28 regular-season games. "If you're going into a really important game, it's really important that the players look at the most important position and say, 'OK, we're good tonight.' Backy has that respect from teammates. We were playing crucial games, and he is an important veteran presence. I would do that again.''

Yeo said he is confident that Backstrom can play 55-60 games next season. Backstrom said he expects to get back to his regular routine three weeks after the surgery. Team officials noted one other offseason surgery: Mike Rupp, who will have a torn meniscus repaired in his knee.

Yeo also talked about the "culture change'' that has been such a buzz phrase for the Wild this season. "From the players, there's a different mentality around the feeling after you lose a game,'' he said. "That's a real important quality a winning team has to have. The level of professionalism that the athletes come to the rink with every day, that starts in the summer with how they train and prepare for the season ahead, we've seen huge improvement in that area. The work and commitment put in through a long and grinding season, we've seen large improvements in that area, too. We've got a great deal of character, a great deal of leadership on this team. I really believe we're taking the right steps toward having that winning attitude, that winning culture you need.''