The NHL announced their finalists for their myriad awards yesterday, and while Matty B is unfortunately not gonna be winning the Lady Byng this year, he’s gunning for a slightly bigger title!
The NHL announced that Beniers is a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy; alongside Buffalo’s Owen Power, and Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner!
The Calder Memorial trophy is given annually to the best Rookie in the league, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association and presented at the NHL Awards ceremony. Mercifully this wasn’t one of those years where the NHL’s bizarre definition of “Rookie” came into effect, so it’s nothing but fresh faced future stars here, unlike in the past.
Beniers led the league’s rookie class in points with 57, and was tied in goals with Dallas’ Wyatt Johnson with 24. Owen Power meanwhile led rookie defensemen with 35 points. Stuart Skinner was pivotal in the Oilers at long last getting their s#!t together and becoming a dangerous team and finishing his regular season with a .914 SV% and 29 wins in 48 starts.
A good crop this year! But this is Matty’s award. He’s getting it.
Power was a great part of the building Buffalo Sabres and while he is a great d-man…he was living in the shadow of Rasmus Dahlin’s insane 76-point season. Skinner, meanwhile…is probably the man who saved Edmonton GM Ken Holland after an entire offseason of turmoil, but was never a world-beater in what Eastern Conference fans who didn’t stay up for these games called a “Weak Pacific Division”. Tsk Tsk, gotta impress Joe Ontario at SportsNet, Stu!
Beniers on the other hand…Matty B was an integral part of the Kraken’s meteoric rise into the playoffs. He’s been just a big a part of why they’re playing their 2nd 2nd round game ever, as well. I’m just saying, it’d require a lot of contextualizing of the rest of the teams around these players for either Power or Skinner to beat him.
But good luck to Matty! Let’s hope he impressed enough sportswriters this year!
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