Calder Trophy finalists unveiled

NEW YORK -- Goaltender Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and center Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks are the three finalists for the 2018-19 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 announced Wednesday, June 19, during the 2019 NHL Awards™ presented by Bridgestone at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Following are the finalists for the Calder Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
The Blues' rise to playoff contention aligned with the first NHL start for Binnington, who burst onto the scene Jan. 7 with St. Louis sitting last in the Western Conference, nine points out of a postseason berth. Binnington posted a shutout in his first start and went on to set a franchise record for shutouts by a rookie (five). The 25-year-old Richmond Hill, Ont., native finished the regular season with a 24-5-1 record, led the NHL in goal-against average (1.89) and ranked fourth in save percentage (.927). His nine-game winning streak from Jan. 23 - Feb. 19 stands as the third-longest in franchise history. Binnington is the first Blues player voted a Calder finalist since defenseman Barret Jackman became the franchise's first-ever winner of the award in 2002-03. The last goaltender to capture Calder honors was Columbus' Steve Mason in 2008-09.
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Dahlin, the first overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, led all rookie defensemen and ranked third among all rookies in points (9-35--44 in 82 GP). His 35 assists ranked second among all rookies, as did his average ice time per game (21:09). With his assist on March 20 vs. Toronto, Dahlin passed Bobby Orr (38 points in 1966-67) for the second-most points by an NHL defenseman before his 19th birthday. The Lidkoping, Sweden, native notched eight multi-point games this season, tied for the second-most by an 18-year-old defenseman in League history (Phil Housley: 13, Orr: 8). Dahlin is the first Sabres player voted a Calder finalist since Tyler Myers captured the award in 2009-10 and looks to join Myers, Tom Barrasso (1983-84) and Gilbert Perreault (1970-71) as the fourth rookie of the year winner in franchise history.
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Pettersson began his NHL career with a five-game point streak (5-3--8) and went on to lead all NHL rookies, and the Canucks team, in goals (28), assists (38) and points (66). He also doubled up as the NHL rookie and Vancouver leader in power-play goals (10) and game-winning goals (seven). Pettersson's 66 points set a Canucks rookie record, besting the previous mark set by Pavel Bure (34-26-60 in 1991-92). He tallied multiple five-point games (2-3--5 vs. COL on Nov. 2 and 1-4--5 at STL on Dec. 9), becoming just the sixth rookie of the expansion era to accomplish the feat. Pettersson is the second Canucks player in as many seasons to be voted a Calder finalist, following the second-place finish by forward Brock Boeser in 2017-18, and is vying to become the first Vancouver winner of the Calder Trophy since Bure (1991-92).

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 Trophy in his memory.
Announcement Schedule
The three finalists for NHL Trophies are being announced by NBC Sports in the United States and Sportsnet/TVA Sports in Canada during pregame programming for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The series of announcements concludes on Sunday, April 28, when the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award will be unveiled.
2019 NHL Awards™ presented by Bridgestone
The NHL Awards™ returns to Las Vegas this summer at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The 2019 NHL Awards™ presented by Bridgestone will be held on Wednesday, June 19 at Mandalay Bay Events Center. It marks the first year that the NHL Awards™ will be held at the resort's sports and entertainment venue and the first time Bridgestone will be the presenting sponsor of the event. NBCSN and Sportsnet will broadcast the event live in the United States and Canada, respectively, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Tickets to the 2019 NHL Awards™ presented by Bridgestone are on sale to the general public at www.nhl.com/awardstickets. This ticket opportunity is available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
This will be the 11th year of a successful partnership between Las Vegas and the League and the 10th time the NHL will honor the best hockey players in the world and the top performances of the season in Las Vegas. Las Vegas venues that have hosted the NHL Awards include Palms Hotel (2009-2011), Encore at Wynn Las Vegas (2012, 2014), MGM Grand Garden Arena (2015), The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (2016, 2018) and T-Mobile Arena (2017).
A full lineup of presenters and entertainment will be announced at a future date. Fans can tweet about the event using the official hashtag #NHLAwards.