Nickelback and no hosts: How the 2012 NHL Awards will try to charm hockey fans (Puck Daddy)

The annual NHL Awards are an interesting animal. It's an awards show for a niche audience that tries to attract a broad one. It can draw celebrities, but only ones in the hockey clique; otherwise, the diehards watching the show will bemoan the unauthentic nature of the celeb guest. Its humor is uniformly hokey, save for those brilliant little moments of insider humor that pepper every edition. "A hockey fan knows what's true and what's not," said Bob Chesterman, VP of programming for the NHL. "We want to try to avoid those [unauthentic] moments and expand upon the moments where people know they're watching true fans." Which brings us to Jay Mohr, who hosted the NHL Awards for the last two seasons. Does he like hockey? Undeniably yes. Did he come off as authentic? Not enough for fans that are still wincing from hearing him pronounce a certain Detroit Red Wings legend's name as "Whyzerman" last season, So there will be no host for the 2012 NHL Awards, scheduled for the first time at the Encore Theater at the Wynn Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 20 broadcast live at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and CBC. Instead, it's a "hosting by committee" approach … and one, somewhat divisive musical guest. "It's a progression but I think it's progressing the right way. The entertainment is there, but I don't think you have to alienate the fan to make it entertaining," said Chesterman.