NHL announces finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy
The NHL is now in the process of announcing the three finalists for every individual trophy for the 2021-22 regular season. They started Monday with the Norris Trophy and will announce one every day for the next two weeks. Yesterday was the Vezina Trophy.
This Calder Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League. It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL and voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the conclusion of each regular season to determine the winner.
The NHL announced the three finalists this morning:
Moritz Seider ( of the Detroit Red Wings paced all rookie defensemen with 7 goals and 43 assists. He led all 2021-22 rookies (forwards and defensemen) in assists, power-play assists (19) and power-play points (21). Seider played in each of the Red Wings' 82 games this season to lead all rookies in total time on ice, 1,889:22 total minutes, and minutes per game of 23:02. He was the sixth overall selection from the 2019 NHL Draft.
Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks was one of the most polarizing players of the 2021-22 NHL season with highlight-reel assists and goals. He finished second among rookies with 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points in 75 games, a single-season franchise record for assists and points by a rookie. Zegras was first among rookies with 19 multi-point outings and 9 powerplay goals. He also was tied for first with 5 game-winning goals, tied for second with 23 goals, third with 38 assists, third with 17 powerplay points, fifth with 181 shots on goal, and tied for sixth with 8 power-play assists. Zegras was drafted ninth overall in the 2019 NHL Entry draft.
Michael Bunting of the Toronto Maple Leafs is maybe the most controversial selection. Bunting led all rookies with 23 goals and 40 assists for a total of 63 points in 79 games, playing on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The 2014 fourth-round pick (117th overall by ARI), who signed with the Maple Leafs in July, found the scoresheet in 44 of his 79 appearances (55.7%).
Seider and Zegras are both only 21 years of age, while Bunting is 26.
Seider hadn't appeared in an NHL game until the 2021-22 season, while Zegras appeared in 24 games last season with the Ducks. Bunting appeared in 5 games with the Arizona Coyotes back in 2018-19 and 21 last season with the Coyotes as well. However, according to the NHL rules, he is still considered eligible for rookie status.
OUR PICK: Moritz Seider
The last Boston Bruin to win the Calder Memorial Trophy was goaltender Andrew Raycroft in 2003-04. He was also the previous Bruin to even be a finalist for the award. Sergei Samsonov also won rookie of the year for the Bruins back in 1997-98.
