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Ghost Named Calder Finalist |
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GOSTISBEHERE NAMED CALDER FINALIST
The National Hockey League announced on Monday that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is a finalist for the 2015-16 Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year. The other top-three finishers in the Professional Hockey Writers Association ballot were forwards Artemi Panarin of the Chicago Blackhawks and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.
"I’m very humbled. It truly is an honor," Gostisbehere said in a conference call with reporters.
"Having the [injury-curtailed AHL rookie] season I did last year, just to be associated with this award and the moment right now, it’s truly humbling. I didn’t expect to be where I am right now. It’s a compliment to my teammates, the coaching staff, and the front office for believing in me all the way."
All three of the top three placers in the Calder race had a question mark associated with their candidacy related either to games played this season (Gostisbehere and McDavid) or their age and extensive previous pro experience.
Gostisbehere started the 2015-16 season in the AHL and was not called up until Nov. 14 (64 games played, 17 goals, 29 assists, 46 points). Panarin, 24, is an older candidate who played six-plus years of pro hockey in KHL before he signed as a free agent with the Blackhawks to post 30 goals and 77 points in 80 games while playing on Art Ross Trophy winner Patrick Kane's line. McDavid, the first overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft was limited by a broken collarbone to just 45 games, posting 16 goals, 32 assists and 48 points.
Gostisbehere was asked what he thinks his chances are to win the award. Unsurprisingly, he declined to handicap the already completed race.
"I don’t really look at it like that. I think it’s just three tremendous candidates," Gostisbehere said. "I think the rookie class speaks for itself. There’s plenty more guys who could have been candidates, but of course Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin, they’re tremendous, first-class hockey players and they definitely deserve their spots."
No Flyers player has ever won the Calder Trophy (see below).
"It’d definitely be cool to be the first Flyer," Gostisbehere said. "Anything for the Flyers organization and the fans… it would definitely be pretty cool."
Gostisbehere played in a large enough sample of games this season to show that he's the real deal as an NHL offensive defenseman. After awhile, there was no element of surprise with him to opponents any more. They all have film on him -- notice, for instance, that he's not surprising defending players much anymore with the spin move that worked several times early in his call up -- and they key on taking away time and space from him. Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz admitted as much after the their playoff series with the Flyers.
The fact that even after he became a key part of other teams' pre-scouts, he still putting up points at a solid clip is a sign that he's a bonafide weapon even at the NHL level. Nevertheless, there are adjustments "Ghost" will have to make in year two to keep his production level high.
Defensively, Gostisbehere is still a work in progress but he was not a liability in his rookie year. At the very worst, he was adequate. Actually, while he's not a shutdown defender, he did quite a few things that helped the club in the neutral and defensive zones.
Specifically, his ability to close on opponents with his fleet feet, his skill at getting into the passing lanes and either trigger counterattacks or at least break up opposing plays was almost as valuable of an addition to the lineup as his work in the offensive end. When Gostisbehere did get on the wrong side of the puck, his speed often enabled him to recover.
Gostisbehere could scarcely have hoped for a more dramatic recovery from the partially torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended his AHL rookie season in early November 2014.
"You set goals during your rehab. My first year pro I only played seven games. It wasn’t the year I wanted to have, anyone, their first year of professional hockey. I had a great rehab crew," Gostisbehere said.
"It started with my surgeon, Dr. DeLuca… Jimmy McCrossin and Sal Raffa, they really helped me along the way. They’re truly the guys behind this team who don’t get enough credit really, just the way they stuck with me not only physically but mentally. They don’t talk about hockey, they talk about football and keep my mind away. They keep me focused as well. They really got me back in top shape and gave me the opportunity to have the season I did.
"Of course I didn’t think I was going to have this sort of season especially coming off a debilitating knee injury. Just the support system I have with my teammates, the training staff, the coaches, my family, my girlfriend – it’s unbelievable."
While no Flyers rookie has ever won the Calder Trophy, they've had their fair share who've earned NHL All-Rookie Team selection honors. Gostisbehere is likely to earn an NHL All-Rookie Team slot on defense (most likely with St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko as the other honoree) even if he has fallen short of getting enough votes to win the Calder.
Among past Flyers, Bill Barber in 1972-73, Brian Propp in 1979-80, Dave Poulin (an older rookie at age 24 but still a Calder qualifier) in 1983-84, Ron Hextall in 1986-87 and Mikael Renberg in 1993-94 had the most Calder-worthy seasons among the field of contenders during their respective rookie seasons.
Second-place finisher Barber in particular probably should have won out over New York Rangers forward Steve Vickers, while 1986-87 Calder runner-up Hextall won the Vezina Trophy but lost out in the Calder vote to LA Kings forward Luc Robitaille. Propp was fourth in the 1979-80 voting, won by Boston Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque. Poulin placed fourth, behind Buffalo Sabres goaltender Tom Barrrasso, Detroit Red Wings center Steve Yzerman and Hartford Whalers winger Sylvain Turgeon. Renberg set a still-standng Flyers rookie scoring record and a strong two-way game, but finished third to New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and Edmonton Oilers center Jason Arnott.
In 1992-93, Eric Lindros missed 23 games his rookie season due to injury but still posted a big impact season (41 goals, 75 points, plus-28 in 61 games). Unfortunately, Lindros' rookie campaign coincided with the season that Winnipeg Jets Teemu Selänne exploded into the NHL with a 76-goal, 132-point rookie campaign, rendering the Calder race a landslide.
Lindros finished fourth in the Calder vote behind Selänne, Boston Bruins center Joe Juneau and Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Felix Potvin.
The greatest Flyer of them all, Bobby Clarke, was also a fourth-place finisher for the Calder in 1969-70, trailing Chicago Blackhawks goalie Tony Esposito, New York Rangers forward Bill Fairbairn and Blackhawks defenseman Keith Magnuson.
Goalie Doug Favell earned the highest Calder finish -- third place in the Flyers' inaugural 1967-78 season -- among Philadelphia players in the early years of franchise history. Playmaking center Andre Lacroix finished fifth in 1968-69.
In 1975-76, Mel Bridgman finished fifth in the Calder race after the Flyers made him the first overall selection of the 1975 NHL Draft. Flyers' defenseman, Behn Wilson finished fourth in 1978-79.
Flyers goalie Pete Peeters was third in the 1978-80 vote, one spot ahead of Propp. Ron Flockhart placed seventh in 1981-82. Pelle Lindbergh was fifth in the Calder vote and seventh in the Vezina Trophy race in 1982-83. Pelle Eklund took fifth place in the 1984-85 vote. Mike Ricci came in ninth in 1990-91. Finnish defenseman Janne Niinimaa was fourth in 1996-97.
As the 2000s arrived, center/winger Simon Gagne finished in fourth place in the 1999-2000 vote while teammate Brian Boucher placed sixth for the Calder Trophy and ninth for the Vezina. Both players earned NHL All-Rookie Team honors.
In 2003-04, defenseman Joni Pitkänen finished seventh in the Calder vote. Jeff Carter placed in an 11th-place tie and Antero Niittymäki was tied for 15th in 2005-06, while neither Mike Richards nor 20-goal scorer R.J. Umberger placed in the vote tallies (it takes at least a fifth-place selection to earn a voting point). Claude Giroux earned a single fifth-place vote to tie for 19th in the 2008-09 vote.
In the 2010s, James van Riemsdyk received three fifth-place votes to tie for 11th in the 2009-10 race. The next year, Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky finished seventh in the Calder vote on the strength of four votes for second place and one for third.
In 2011-12, 25-year-old Matt Read took fourth place in the Calder vote (including three selections for first-place) while Sean Couturier, who was 18 at the beginning of the season, placed ninth overall on a single first-place, three picks for third-place, a single fourth-place and nine fifth-place selections. Brayden Schenn did not place.
The NHL All-Rookie team honor came into existence in 1982-83. Among the Flyers rookies who did not place in the Calder vote in their respective rookie seasons, there were two who still managed All-Rookie Team honors: defensemen Thomas Eriksson in 1983-84 and Chris Therien in the 48-game 1994-95 season.
Roman Cechmanek, at age 29, was too old to qualify for the Calder Trophy in his first NHL season (2000-01). However, he finished second in the Vezina Trophy race and fourth in the Hart Trophy balloting for NHL most valuable player.
Among current Flyers, goaltender Steve Mason won the 2008-09 Calder Trophy as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was also the first runner-up for the Vezina that year.
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