The race for the Calder Memorial Trophy

This year there is a lot to be excited about for hockey fans. There are more teams than ever in a position to make a very strong playoff run. And those teams have some of the most exciting rookies we have seen in a few years. In previous years the rookie of the year award was either between two players or it has been a landslide for one unstoppable rookie. It was a toss up between Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in 2006. And it was almost certain that Evgeni Malkin would take it home in 2007. And from the get go last year, all eyes were on the 1'st overall draft pick Patrick Kane. But this year it is different. There are so many talented young players in the running for the Calder Memorial Trophy it is very hard to choose a favourite.

In my opinion it is between 5 players at this point. And oddly enough, the first overall draft pick Steven Stamkos is not among them. The players that I believe are in the race are
(G) Steve Mason - Columbus Blue Jackets
7 Shutouts, 21 Wins, .925 Sv%, 2.06 GA
(R) Kris Versteeg - Chicago Blackhawks
Leads all rookies with 41 points
(R) Bobby Ryan - Anaheim Ducks
Lead all rookies with 18 goals
(C) Patrik Berglund - San Jose Sharks
Tied for second amongst rookies with 35 points
(R) Blake Wheeler - Boston Bruins
Leads the entire NHL with a +33 rating

If the season were to end today, I would guess that Steve Mason would be the winner. The 20 year old Oakville native leads the NHL with 7 shutouts and is 9'th overall with 21 wins. The Blue Jackets have a strong chance at making the post season for the first time in franchise history and he is the reason. If a rookie has this kind of an impact on his team, he deserves the recognitions and respect of the Calder Memorial Trophy. The last goalie to win the Calder was Andrew Raycroft in 2004 and before that, Evgeni Nabokov won the award in 2001.

The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the playoffs. You can cast your vote for rookie of the year in our poll.