NHL Hints That Mark Stone May Be The Calder Winner
There was some interesting news today that will make Ottawa Senators fans quite happy:
Most have guessed right, #Alfie will present the Calder Trophy to this year's top rookie. He won the award in the 1995-96 season. #Sens
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) June 16, 2015
So yes, for those of us who actually watch the NHL awards show in Las Vegas we will get to see Alfie in the spotlight (briefly) once more. It seems like his short stint in Detroit never happened, and he is once again a God in the city. The fact that he is presenting is great in itself, but reading between the lines there could be a reason why he is announcing the winner.
Our very own Mark Stone is a finalist for the Calder Trophy, and many are speculating that because Alfredsson is presenting the award, it makes sense that Stone would be the winner.
There was plenty of talk about it on Twitter today, and most people are thinking along the same lines.
#Sens confirm Daniel Alfredsson will present the Calder Trophy at the NHL Awards June 24. Mark Stone is one of the nominees. Hmm.
— Murray Pam (@Pammerhockey) June 16, 2015
Would seem like a pretty cruel swerve for the league to let Alfredsson announce the Calder winner and not have it be Mark Stone.
— Graeme Nichols (@GraemeNichols) June 16, 2015
On the one hand, it seems odd that the NHL would be this transparent about who the winner is for such a big award. On the other hand, maybe this is some sort of cruel joke to get Senators fans hopes up before the show. Either way, I can’t tell for sure if Alfredsson coming is a hint or if it truly means nothing.
After all, I’m sure the NHL is promoting it as a former Calder winner presenting the award years later. Alfredsson won the award himself in 1996, and why wouldn’t they want a former winner to come back? But part of me also wonders if Alfredsson knows who the winner is. Because if he knows it is Stone, then I’m sure he would accept. He knows it would be special for Stone to receive it from a former star and it would be an all-around great moment. There’s a chance that he actually doesn’t know who the winner is though, and perhaps he just liked being asked by the NHL and happily accepted.
Stone recorded 47 points From January 1st on, good for 4th in the entire league and one ahead of Sidney Crosby
At the end of the day, you could go back and forth over whether this means anything or not. My first reaction was that this means Stone will be the winner, although there’s still a very good chance one of Aaron Ekblad or Johnny Gaudreau will win because they are just as deserving.
There are lots of good reasons why Stone should win, and also why he potentially got more votes. Firstly, he was tied with Gaudreau in points at the top of the rookie leaderboard, but he had two more goals than him. Secondly, Stone was ninth in the entire league in points per 60 minutes at five on five, at 2.57. Gaudreau was only 123rd, with 1.73 points per 60.
It’s hard to argue Stone vs. Ekblad because forwards and defensemen are completely different players, but I can tell you why he may have got more votes than him in the end. Stone was amazing all season long, but particularly in the second half. From January 1st on he recorded 47 points, which was 4th in the entire league and one ahead of Sidney Crosby. People will remember his greatness from that point on, even though he had an amazing season from start to finish.
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Voters for these types of awards have a short memory, and they will remember Stone scoring tons of big goals late in the season because he was one of the best players. Filip Forsberg was only one point back of him, but because he struggled a bit in the second half he didn’t get as much love.
What the Ottawa Senators did down the stretch was also amazing, and I guarantee that because they ended up making the playoffs and Stone played incredible during that time, he got more votes. People like to attribute a team’s success to a couple of players, and most people will point to Stone as a catalyst. Getting that Senators team to the playoffs was no small task, and Stone was a huge reason for making it.
The way the voting works is predictable, and it’s why I think he will come away with the award. The fact that Alfredsson is also presenting the award makes me even more confident. The NHL gave us a little hint today, and it might mean something or it might not. We’ll see what happens, but as of now I’d be shocked if Stone didn’t win the 2014-15 Calder trophy.
Next: Stone, Karlsson Highlight List Of Untouchables For Ottawa