Erik Karlsson has had a great regular season, and now playoff hockey awaits him and the Pittsburgh Penguins. To top it all off, Karlsson was awarded the Mr. TNT award by the NHL on TNT crew. In his acceptance speech, he sent the entire studio into laughter.
Even though he is turning 36 next month, Karlsson recorded 66 points — 15 goals and 51 assists — in 75 regular-season games. That total ranks him second in scoring on a Penguins team that has made the playoffs for the first time in three years.
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Erik Karlsson gets Mr. TNT award 2026
Karlsson has received plenty of praise for his leadership, especially in the absence of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin when they have been out of the lineup. But it’s not only on the ice where he’s appreciated. According to the NHL on TNT crew, he’s also a delight to interview. That’s why they voted him the recipient of the Mr. TNT award on Wednesday. Previous winners include Brad Marchand, Jon Cooper, and Alexander Ovechkin.
Hilarious acceptance speech
Karlsson was presented with the award by his teammate Kris Letang. In his acceptance speech, he once again had the NHL on TNT studio laughing.
“Thank you to the entire NHL on TNT panel for voting for me, I appreciate it. I don’t really know what this means, but it means a lot to me. It’s something I will remember forever. I’ll put it among the very few other trophies that I have. I hope this solidifies the bandwagon support we’re going to get from Biz. He has now moved on to our team, forever. That’s what I take this award as,” Karlsson said.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will face their longtime Pennsylvania rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, in the first round of the playoffs, which begins on April 18.
You can watch Erik Karlsson’s acceptance speech and the following interview below.
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