ST. PAUL, Minn. — In news that didn’t exactly come as a shock, Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon was named a finalist Wednesday for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.
The award will be announced June 24 in Las Vegas.
“It’s pretty cool,” MacKinnon said after the Avs’ practice at the Xcel Energy Center, where Colorado will play Game 4 of a playoff series Thursday night against Minnesota. “It’s always fun to go back to Vegas. It’s going to be fun. I’ve watched it on TV growing up, so it’s going to be fun going and seeing some of the guys I know.”
One of them figures to be fellow Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, native Sidney Crosby — a former Calder winner and likely a Hart Trophy finalist. After the Penguins’ skate Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, Crosby talked with reporters about his connection to MacKinnon.
“From playing against him early on in the year to seeing him in the game we played against them late in the season, he improved as the year went on,” Crosby said. “He looks like he is having fun, and I am happy to see him do well. I know how hard he works.
“We talk a little bit (during the playoffs). He is pretty excited to be playing in the playoffs in his first year. He was just on fire there. Game 3 was a little tighter, and he got more attention. But it’s a great opportunity for him.”
Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat were the other finalists named for rookie of the year.
MacKinnon led all rookies in points (63) and assists (39) and tied Johnson for the league lead in goals (24). MacKinnon also broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record for longest single-season point streak by a player who’s 18 or younger, with 12 games from Jan. 25 to March 6.
MacKinnon, 18, is the fourth Avs player in the past eight years to be voted a Calder finalist. Paul Stastny finished second in 2007, Matt Duchene was third in 2010 and Gabe Landeskog won it in 2012.
Chris Drury won the award in 1999. Peter Forsberg (1995) and Peter Stastny (1981) won the award when the franchise was in Quebec.
