After being the first-overall pick last year, Blackhawks center Connor Bedard was considered the preseason prohibitive favorite to win the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He did just that as the league announced that Bedard won the voting.
The 18-year-old led or co-led all NHL rookies and Chicago in goals (22), assists (39), and points (61) despite missing 14 games with a broken jaw. Bedard was the second-youngest player in NHL history to finish his year as the rookie scoring leader in all three categories, only Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was younger. Meanwhile, he is the second-youngest rookie in league history to lead his team in each category, only Sidney Crosby finished his rookie year at a younger age.
Despite Bedard’s success, there was one other viable contender for the award, that being Minnesota’s Brock Faber. After quickly becoming an all-around No. 1 blueliner for the Wild, he garnered 42 out of 194 first-place votes. That said, Bedard got the other 152, allowing him to win the voting by more than 300 ranking points. New Jersey’s Luke Hughes finished third in voting while a total of 17 players appeared on at least one ballot.
Bedard becomes the 10th player in Blackhawks history to win the award. He’s the first Chicago player to win since 2015-16 when Artemi Panarin took home the trophy.
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