What is the Calder Trophy?

Photo: NHL

The Calder Memorial Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards in the National Hockey League (NHL), presented annually to the player who is deemed the most proficient in his first year of competition. The trophy is named after Frank Calder, who was the first president of the NHL and played a significant role in establishing the league’s rules and regulations.

The Calder Trophy was first presented in the 1932-33 NHL season, making it one of the oldest individual awards in the league. The inaugural winner was Carl Voss of the Detroit Red Wings, who had an impressive rookie season with 19 goals and 16 assists in 48 games.

Over the years, the Calder Trophy has been won by some of the most talented players in NHL history. From Terry Sawchuk, who won the award in 1951, to current NHL superstar Connor McDavid, who won it in 2016, the list of winners is a who’s who of hockey legends.

One of the most memorable Calder Trophy winners was Bobby Orr, who won the award in 1967 as a rookie with the Boston Bruins. Orr had a phenomenal season, scoring 13 goals and 28 assists in 61 games while also winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman. Orr’s Calder Trophy win was just the beginning of a Hall of Fame career that saw him become one of the greatest players in NHL history.

Another iconic winner was Mario Lemieux, who won the award in 1985 after an incredible rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lemieux scored 43 goals and 57 assists in 73 games, finishing second in the NHL in scoring behind Wayne Gretzky. Lemieux’s Calder Trophy win was just the first of many accolades he would receive throughout his illustrious career.

Teemu Selanne won the Calder Trophy in 1993 after an incredible rookie season with the Winnipeg Jets. Selanne set an NHL record for most goals by a rookie with 76 and also had 56 assists for a total of 132 points. Selanne’s remarkable season earned him not only the Calder Trophy but also the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer.

In recent years, the Calder Trophy has been won by some of the NHL’s brightest young stars, including Nathan MacKinnon, Aaron Ekblad, and Auston Matthews. In 2021, the trophy was awarded to Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, who had an outstanding rookie season with 27 goals and 24 assists in 55 games.

In conclusion, the Calder Memorial Trophy has a rich history dating back to the early days of the NHL. The award has been won by some of the greatest players in hockey history and continues to recognize the NHL’s top rookies each year. As the league continues to evolve, the Calder Trophy remains a symbol of excellence for the NHL’s up-and-coming stars.

  • 1932-33: Carl Voss (Detroit Red Wings)
  • 1933-34: Russ Blinco (Chicago Black Hawks)
  • 1934-35: Sweeney Schriner (New York Americans)
  • 1935-36: Charlie Conacher (Detroit Red Wings)
  • 1936-37: Syl Apps (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1937-38: Cully Dahlstrom (Chicago Black Hawks)
  • 1938-39: Frank Brimsek (Boston Bruins)
  • 1939-40: Kilby MacDonald (New York Rangers)
  • 1940-41: Johnny Quilty (Montreal Canadiens)
  • 1941-42: Grant Warwick (New York Rangers)
  • 1942-43: Gaye Stewart (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1943-44: Gus Bodnar (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1944-45: Frank McCool (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1945-46: Edgar Laprade (New York Rangers)
  • 1946-47: Howie Meeker (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1947-48: Jim McFadden (Chicago Black Hawks)
  • 1948-49: Pentti Lund (New York Rangers)
  • 1949-50: Jack Gelineau (Boston Bruins)
  • 1950-51: Terry Sawchuk (Detroit Red Wings)
  • 1951-52: Bernie Geoffrion (Montreal Canadiens)
  • 1952-53: Lorne “Gump” Worsley (New York Rangers)
  • 1953-54: Camille Henry (New York Rangers)
  • 1954-55: Ed Litzenberger (Chicago Black Hawks)
  • 1955-56: Glenn Hall (Detroit Red Wings)
  • 1956-57: Larry Regan (Boston Bruins)
  • 1957-58: Frank Mahovlich (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1958-59: Ralph Backstrom (Montreal Canadiens)
  • 1959-60: Bill Hay (Chicago Black Hawks)
  • 1960-61: Dave Keon (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1961-62: Bobby Rousseau (Montreal Canadiens)
  • 1962-63: Kent Douglas (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1963-64: Jacques Laperriere (Montreal Canadiens)
  • 1964-65: Roger Crozier (Detroit Red Wings)
  • 1965-66: Brit Selby (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1966-67: Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins)
  • 1967-68: Derek Sanderson (Boston Bruins)
  • 1968-69: Danny Grant (Minnesota North Stars)
  • 1969-70: Tony Esposito (Chicago Black Hawks)
  • 1970-71: Gilbert Perreault (Buffalo Sabres)
  • 1971-72: Ken Dryden (Montreal Canadiens)
  • 1972-73: Steve Vickers (New York Rangers)
  • 1973-74: Denis Potvin (New York Islanders)
  • 1974-75: Eric Vail (Atlanta Flames)
  • 1975-76: Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders)
  • 1976-77: Willi Plett (Atlanta Flames)
  • 1977-78: Mike Bossy (New York Islanders)
  • 1978-79: Bobby Smith (Minnesota North Stars)
  • 1979-80: Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins)
  • 1980-81: Peter Stastny (Quebec Nordiques)
  • 1981-82: Dale Hawerchuk (Winnipeg Jets)
  • 1982-83: Steve Larmer (Chicago Blackhawks)
  • 1983-84: Tom Barrasso (Buffalo Sabres)
  • 1984-85: Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
  • 1985-86: Gary Suter (Calgary Flames)
  • 1986-87: Luc Robitaille (Los Angeles Kings)
  • 1987-88: Joe Nieuwendyk (Calgary Flames)
  • 1988-89: Brian Leetch (New York Rangers)
  • 1989-90: Sergei Makarov (Calgary Flames)
  • 1990-91: Ed Belfour (Chicago Blackhawks)
  • 1991-92: Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks)
  • 1992-93: Teemu Selanne (Winnipeg Jets)
  • 1993-94: Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)
  • 1994-95: Peter Forsberg (Quebec Nordiques)
  • 1995-96: Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators)
  • 1996-97: Bryan Berard (New York Islanders)
  • 1997-98: Sergei Samsonov (Boston Bruins)
  • 1998-99: Chris Drury (Colorado Avalanche)
  • 1999-00: Scott Gomez (New Jersey Devils)
  • 2000-01: Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks)
  • 2001-02: Dany Heatley (Atlanta Thrashers)
  • 2002-03: Barret Jackman (St. Louis Blues)
  • 2003-04: Andrew Raycroft (Boston Bruins)
  • 2004-05: Lockout (No winner)
  • 2005-06: Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
  • 2006-07: Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
  • 2007-08: Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
  • 2008-09: Steve Mason (Columbus Blue Jackets)
  • 2009-10: Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres)
  • 2010-11: Jeff Skinner (Carolina Hurricanes)
  • 2011-12: Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche)
  • 2012-13: Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers)
  • 2013-14: Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
  • 2014-15: Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers)
  • 2015-16: Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks)
  • 2016-17: Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 2017-18: Mathew Barzal (New York Islanders)
  • 2018-19: Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks)
  • 2019-20: Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
  • 2020-21: Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild)
  • 2021-22: Moritz Seider (Detroit Red Wings)

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  1. Stanley Cup Aspirations
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