NHL Year in Review: Jonathan Toews for Person of the Year

Jonathan Toews, the third-youngest player selected to captain in NHL history, could arguably be one of the league's most stoic leaders of all-time. It's what earned the 22-year-old native of Manitoba the moniker Captain Serious.

"He is usually really serious, but we are all pretty serious in our house," Andree Gilbert, Toews's mother, told FanHouse. "It's an event like this where you can really see the other side of him."

Gilbert's words came on the ice after Toews' Chicago Blackhawks secured the franchise's first Stanley Cup title in 49 years with a Game 6 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Minutes earlier on that June night, the league announced that Toews had secured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Toews finished with 29 points, the second-most during the playoffs behind Daniel Briere, although he went the entire final without a goal.

More Nominees: Crosby | Kovalchuk | Wirtz

He had smiled at least once earlier in the year. Toews scored the first goal in Team Canada's 3-2 overtime victory over Team USA in the gold medal game of the Vancouver Olympics in February. Toews also contributed seven assists and was arguably the host nation's most productive forward in the tournament.

During what had to seem like the shortest offseason of his young career, Toews had a lake named in his honor near his hometown and watched teammates Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager and Brent Sopel get dealt in transactions designed to keep Chicago under the salary cap.

But as 2010 draws to a close, a depleted Blackhawks team would still be in the playoffs. Seriously.