Stuart Skinner – CanucksBanter

NEW YORK – Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of January.

FIRST STAR – NATHAN MacKINNON, C, COLORADO AVALANCHE

MacKinnon led the NHL with 12-14—26 and five game-winning goals (tied) in 12 contests to help the Avalanche (32-14-3, 67 points) maintain first place in the Central Division via a 9-3-0 January.
MacKinnon, who also was named “First Star” of December, became the second player in as many seasons to earn that distinction in consecutive months, following Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid in February and March 2023.
MacKinnon found the scoresheet in each of his 12 January appearances, extending his point streak to 13 games dating to Dec. 31 (12-16—28) – his second double-digit run of 2023-24 (also Nov. 20 – Dec. 27: 13-23—36 in 19 GP). He also stretched his season-opening home point streak to 25 contests (21-32—53), tied with Bobby Orr (19-31—50 in 1974-75 w/ BOS) for the second-longest such run in League history behind only Wayne Gretzky’s unblemished 1988-89 home campaign (33-70—103 in 40 GP w/ LAK).
MacKinnon’s January featured seven multi-point performances, capped by a stretch of three straight to close the month (Jan. 20-26: 7-4—11). That window included consecutive games with at least four points, highlighted by 4-1—5 Jan. 24 vs. WSH – his second career four-goal and seventh career five-point efforts.
The 28-year-old MacKinnon, who will be making his fifth career NHL All-Star Game appearance this weekend, ranks second in the League with 31-53—84 through 49 total contests this season. He also places among the top five in the NHL in assists (t-1st; 53), power-play assists (2nd; 25), power-play points (2nd; 32), shots on goal (2nd; 224), game-winning goals (t-3rd; 7) and goals (5th; 31).

SECOND STAR – STUART SKINNER, G, EDMONTON OILERS

Skinner won each of his January appearances, going 9-0-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and .953 save percentage to guide the Oilers (29-15-1, 59 points) to a perfect month as they extended their winning streak to 16 games dating to Dec. 21 – one shy of the longest such run in NHL history.
Skinner posted the ninth instance in League history of a goaltender winning at least nine contests in a single calendar month without recording a tie or loss of any kind, and the first since Mike Smith did so – also with Edmonton – in April 2022 (9-0-0). In the process, Skinner stretched his personal winning streak to 12 games dating to Dec. 22 (1.41 GAA, .950 SV%, 1 SO) – a length achieved by only nine other netminders in NHL history.
Skinner yielded two or fewer goals in each of his nine January starts, including six one-goal performances. He made at least 25 stops eight times, propelled by a 35-save performance to open the calendar year (Jan. 2 vs. PHI).
The 25-year-old Skinner, who owned an 11-9-1 record through his first 22 appearances of 2023-24 (3.04 GAA, .884 SV%, 1 SO), now boasts a 23-9-1 mark in 34 total outings (2.44 GAA, .910 SV%, 2 SO). That puts him in the top 10 this season in both wins (t-3rd) and goals-against average (6th; minimum: 16 GP).

THIRD STAR – ELIAS PETTERSSON, C, VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Pettersson, who will be playing in his fourth career NHL All-Star Game this weekend, shared the League lead in goals (14), game-winning goals (5) and overtime goals (2) across 13 contests (14-7—21) to lift the Canucks (33-11-5, 71 points) to a seven-point cushion atop the Pacific Division via a 10-1-2 January.
Pettersson became the fifth different Vancouver player to register at least 14 goals in a calendar month and the first since Alexandre Burrows in January 2010 (15-7—22 in 13 GP). He scored in nine of his 13 January appearances, highlighted by five multi-goal performances, and became the first player in NHL history to record the winning goal in four straight road games (Jan. 6-11: 7-5—12).
The 25-year-old Pettersson has played in 49 total contests this season, ranking among the League leaders in game-winning goals (t-1st; 9), points (8th; 64), power-play goals (t-8th; 10), goals (t-9th; 27), power-play points (t-9th; 25), shooting percentage (12th; 19.7% — minimum: 1 SOG/GP) and assists (t-13th; 37).

Source: nhl.com

2023

By NHL Public Relations

May 3, 2023

NEW YORK (May 3, 2023) – Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner are the three finalists for the 2022‑23 Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Calder Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be revealed live during the 2023 NHL Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Monday, June 26 (8 p.m. ET, TNT, SN, TVAS).

Following are the finalists for the Calder Trophy, in alphabetical order:

Matty Beniers, C, Seattle Kraken

Beniers led rookies with 24-33—57 in 80 games to help the Kraken (46-28-8, 100 points) post the largest win (+19) and point (+40) improvements by an NHL franchise from its first to second season. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft, the first selection in Seattle history, also ranked among the top rookies in multi-point performances (1st; 18), shooting percentage (1st, minimum: 80 S; 16.2%), plus/minus (1st; +14), goals (t-1st; 24), assists (2nd; 33), game-winning goals (2nd; 4), shots on goal (4th; 148), power-play points (6th; 10), power-play goals (t-6th; 4) and power-play assists (8th; 6). Beniers, who finished second among rookie forwards in total time on ice (1,367:22) and fourth in average time on ice (17:06), was assessed only one penalty to become the fourth different player in League history – rookie or veteran – to skate in at least 80 games in a season and receive two or fewer penalty minutes. The 20-year-old Beniers, the first NHL Awards finalist in Kraken history, is seeking to become the first player from an expansion franchise to win the Calder Trophy within his team’s first two seasons since Peter Stastny captured the award in 1980-81, the Quebec Nordiques’ second campaign.

Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres

Power, who played two seasons of college hockey with Beniers at the University of Michigan (2020-21 and 2021-22) and was selected one pick ahead of him in the 2021 NHL Draft, paced rookie defensemen with 4-31—35 across 79 contests. He finished among the top rookies – forwards and defensemen – in assists (3rd; 31), plus/minus (t-3rd; +10), power-play assists (4th; 8), shots on goal (7th; 130) and power-play points (t-9th; 8). Power also led all rookies in both average (23:48) and total (1,880:20) time on ice, the fifth-highest and seventh-highest figures, respectively, since the statistics began being recorded in 1997-98 (minimum: 15 GP). The 20-year-old Power is the Sabres’ first Calder Trophy finalist since current teammate and fellow No. 1 overall draft selection Rasmus Dahlin placed third in voting in 2018-19. He is vying to become Buffalo’s fourth winner of the award, after defenseman Tyler Myers (2009-10), goaltender Tom Barrasso (1983-84) and center Gilbert Perreault (1970-71). Only three franchises that have entered the NHL in the expansion era (since 1967-68) currently have at least four Calder Trophy winners: the Avalanche/Nordiques (6), Flames (5) and Islanders (5).

Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers

Skinner, a third-round choice (78th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, topped rookie goaltenders in wins (29) and games played (50) while ranking second among qualifying rookies (minimum: 25 GP) in goals-against average (2.75) and save percentage (.914). His 29 victories set an Oilers rookie record, one ahead of Grant Fuhr’s 28in 1981-82 (48 GP), and were the most by a rookie on any team since Matt Murray’s 32in 2016-17 (49 GP w/ PIT). Ten of Skinner’s wins came in March (10-1-1), a single-month Edmonton record for any netminder (rookie or veteran) ahead of the nine previously shared by Andy Moog (January 1983: 9-1-2), Fuhr (December 1987: 9-3-1), Tommy Salo (March 2003: 9-3-1) and Mike Smith (April 2022: 9-0-0). The 24-year-old Skinner, who in February became the second rookie goaltender in Oilers history to play in the All-Star Game (also Fuhr in 1982), is Edmonton’s first Calder Trophy finalist since Connor McDavid finished third in voting in 2015-16 and is seeking to become the first player in franchise history to take home the award. He also is looking to become first netminder on any team to capture the trophy since Steve Mason in 2008-09 (w/ CBJ).

History

From 1936-37 until his death in 1943, NHL President Frank Calder purchased a trophy each year to be given permanently to the League’s outstanding rookie. After Calder’s death, the NHL presented the Calder Memorial Trophy in his memory.

Announcement Schedule

The three finalists for the 2023 NHL Awards are being announced through Friday, May 12. The series of announcements continues Thursday, May 4, when the three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy will be unveiled.