SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given annually to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson and Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf, a Gilroy native, are the other finalists for the award, which is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
The 18-year-old Celebrini, selected first overall by the Sharks at last year’s NHL Draft, led the team with 63 points in 70 games this season and all NHL rookies in points per game. He also led all Sharks forwards still with the team in average time on ice (19:47).
Hutson, Celebrini’s former teammate at Boston University, led all rookies with 66 points in 82 games. That made Hutson, 21, the third-highest scoring player on a Canadiens team that made a 15-point jump in the standings and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Wolf, 24, nearly did the same with the Flames, starting 53 games and going 29-16-8 with three shutouts and a .910 save percentage.
Celebrini is the fourth Sharks player to be named a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov won the award after the 2000-01 season, and defenseman Brad Stuart (1999-2000) and center Logan Couture (2010-11) were runners-up.
Celebrini is preparing to play for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships, which are being held in Sweden and Denmark this month. Sunday, it was announced that Celebrini’s childhood idol, Sidney Crosby, along with Nathan MacKinnon, will be joining the Canadian team.
