The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

(NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the

first president First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number 1 (number), one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, D ...

of the NHL. Serving as the NHL's Rookie of the Year award, this version of the trophy has been awarded since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season. The voting is conducted by members of the

Professional Hockey Writers' Association The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) is a North American professional association for ice hockey journalists writing for newspapers, magazines and websites. The PHWA was founded in 1967 and has approximately 180 voting members. The ...

at the conclusion of each

regular season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability ...

to determine the winner.

History

The Calder Memorial Trophy is named in honour of Frank Calder, the former President of the

(NHL) from its inception in 1917 to his death in 1943. Although ''Rookie of the Year'' honors were handed out beginning in 1932–33, the Calder Trophy was first presented at the conclusion of the 1936–37 NHL season. After Calder's death in 1943 the trophy was renamed the Calder Memorial Trophy. In

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the ...

, goaltender Ed Belfour won the Calder having previously appeared in 32 games with the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

over the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons. Belfour was eligible for the award because nine of those appearances came during the 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs, and the other 23 appearances were made during the 1988–89 season. The nine playoff games did not count towards the regular season eligibility requirements. The trophy has been won the most times by rookies from the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...

, who have won it on ten occasions, with the most recent being

Auston Matthews Auston Taylour Matthews (born September 17, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in San Ramon, California, Matthews and his family moved ...

in 2017. The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by members of the

, 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.

Winners

File:Howie Meeker Calder.jpg, Howie Meeker, winner in 1947 File:Terry Sawchuk 1963.JPG, Terry Sawchuk, winner in 1951 File:Eric vail atlanta flames 1978.jpg, Eric Vail, winner in 1975 File:Mario Lemieux 2001.jpg,

Mario Lemieux Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006, and he assumed ownership of the ...

, winner in 1985 File:Pavel Bure in Canucks uniform.jpg,

Pavel Bure Pavel Vladimirovich Bure (russian: Па́вел Влади́мирович Буре́, ; born March 31, 1971) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played the right wing position. Nicknamed "the Russian Rocket" for his speed, B ...

, winner in 1992 File:Daniel Alfredsson.jpg, Daniel Alfredsson, winner in 1996 File:Alexander Ovechkin 1 2016-03-01.JPG, Alexander Ovechkin, winner in 2006 File:Gabriel Landeskog in 2012 cropped.jpg, Gabriel Landeskog, winner in 2012 File:Auston_Matthews_2017-12-09.jpg,

, winner in 2017 File:Moritz_Seider.jpg, Moritz Seider, the incumbent award winner of the Calder

References

Calder Trophy history at NHL.com
{{Featured list National Hockey League trophies and awards Awards established in 1933 Rookie player awards

History

Winners

See also

References