The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The award has been awarded 71 times since its beginnings in 1937. The voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the conclusion of each regular season to determine the winner.

History

The trophy is named in honor of Frank Calder, the former President of the National Hockey League 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 1942 the trophy was re-named the Calder Memorial Trophy.

In 1990, Sergei Makarov of the Calgary Flames became the oldest player, at age 31, to win the Calder, even though he had played professionally in the Soviet Union as a member of HC CSKA Moscow. After that season, the rules for awarding the Calder were amended so that players could only be eligible if they were 26 years old or younger by September 15 of their rookie season.

To be eligible for the award, a player cannot have played any more than 25 games previously in any single season, nor have played in more than six games in two separate preceding seasons in any major professional league. The latter fact was perhaps most prominent when in 1979–80, first-year phenom Wayne Gretzky was not eligible to win the Calder Trophy despite scoring 137 points (the previous rookie record at the time being 95), because he had played a full season the previous year in the World Hockey Association. The trophy has been won the most times by rookies from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have won it on nine occasions.

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.

Winners

Positions key

C	Centre	LW	Left Wing
D	Defence	RW	Right Wing
G	Goaltender

Season

Winner	Team	Position	Age
1932–33		Detroit Red Wings	C	25
1933–34		Montreal Maroons	C	25
1934–35		New York Americans	LW	22
1935–36		Chicago Black Hawks	G	23
1936–37		Toronto Maple Leafs	C	21
1937–38		Chicago Black Hawks	C	24
1938–39		Boston Bruins	G	24
1939–40		New York Rangers	LW	25
1940–41		Montreal Canadiens	C	19
1941–42		New York Rangers	RW	19
1942–43		Toronto Maple Leafs	RW	19
1943–44		Toronto Maple Leafs	C	20
1944–45		Toronto Maple Leafs	G	25
1945–46		New York Rangers	C	25
1946–47		Toronto Maple Leafs	RW	21
1947–48		Detroit Red Wings	C	27
1948–49		New York Rangers	RW	22
1949–50		Boston Bruins	G	24
1950–51		Detroit Red Wings	G	20
1951–52		Montreal Canadiens	RW	20
1952–53		New York Rangers	G	23
1953–54		New York Rangers	C	20
1954–55		Chicago Black Hawks	RW	22
1955–56		Detroit Red Wings	G	23
1956–57		Boston Bruins	RW	26
1957–58		Toronto Maple Leafs	LW	19
1958–59		Montreal Canadiens	C	20
1959–60		Chicago Black Hawks	C	23
1960–61		Toronto Maple Leafs	C	20
1961–62		Montreal Canadiens	RW	21
1962–63		Toronto Maple Leafs	D	26
1963–64		Montreal Canadiens	D	21
1964–65		Detroit Red Wings	G	22
1965–66		Toronto Maple Leafs	LW	20
1966–67		Boston Bruins	D	18
1967–68		Boston Bruins	C	21
1968–69		Minnesota North Stars	RW	23
1969–70		Chicago Black Hawks	G	26
1970–71		Buffalo Sabres	C	19
1971–72		Montreal Canadiens	G	24
1972–73		New York Rangers	LW	21
1973–74		New York Islanders	D	19
1974–75		Atlanta Flames	LW	20
1975–76		New York Islanders	C	19
1976–77		Atlanta Flames	RW	21
1977–78		New York Islanders	RW	20
1978–79		Minnesota North Stars	C	20
1979–80		Boston Bruins	D	18
1980–81		Quebec Nordiques	C	24
1981–82		Winnipeg Jets	C	18
1982–83		Chicago Black Hawks	RW	21
1983–84		Buffalo Sabres	G	18
1984–85		Pittsburgh Penguins	C	19
1985–86		Calgary Flames	D	21
1986–87		Los Angeles Kings	LW	20
1987–88		Calgary Flames	C	21
1988–89		New York Rangers	D	20
1989–90		Calgary Flames	RW	31
1990–91		Chicago Blackhawks	G	25
1991–92		Vancouver Canucks	RW	20
1992–93		Winnipeg Jets	RW	23
1993–94		New Jersey Devils	G	21
1994–95		Quebec Nordiques	C	21
1995–96		Ottawa Senators	RW	22
1996–97		New York Islanders	D	19
1997–98		Boston Bruins	LW	18
1998–99		Colorado Avalanche	C	22
1999–2000		New Jersey Devils	C	19
2000–01		San Jose Sharks	G	25
2001–02		Atlanta Thrashers	RW	20
2002–03		St. Louis Blues	D	21
2003–04		Boston Bruins	G	23
2004–05		-	-	-
2005–06		Washington Capitals	LW	19
2006–07		Pittsburgh Penguins	C	20
2007–08		Chicago Blackhawks	RW	19

References

General

• Calder Trophy history at NHL.com
• Calder Trophy profile at Legends of Hockey.netSpecific

See also

• List of NHL players
• List of NHL statistical leaders