Jeff Skinner early ROY? Now nominated!

[fallen_apostle]

Yes I know lol. Given the time of the post and the fact that it was second period elective, I had the opportunity to rant for a bit. But honestly all this talk about Couture and Grabner is ridiculous. Skinner is 18. Frickin' 18.

Enough said.

[CanadianHockeyFan88]

Can I just say what a joke it is for Couture and Grabner to even be MENTIONED? Didn't the both of them play in the regular season and playoffs last season?????? Why yes, THEY DID. So, THEY ARE NOT ROOKIES. Couture is 22, Grabner is 23. YOUNG GIFTED PLAYERS, yes, NOT ROOKIES.

Skinner is EIGHTEEN (18!!!!), and literally stepped off of the draft floor into the NHL and LED ALL TRUE ROOKIES IN POINTS! Even Couture and Grabner, who AREN'T true rookies with their experience, couldn't match Jeff Skinner.

So, JEFF SKINNER IS THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. PERIOD. PERIOD. PERIOD.

Thank You.

My Eyes, CAPS LOCK!

[jb_online]

Can I just say what a joke it is for Couture and Grabner to even be MENTIONED? Didn't the both of them play in the regular season and playoffs last season?????? Why yes, THEY DID. So, THEY ARE NOT ROOKIES. Couture is 22, Grabner is 23. YOUNG GIFTED PLAYERS, yes, NOT ROOKIES.

Skinner is EIGHTEEN (18!!!!), and literally stepped off of the draft floor into the NHL and LED ALL TRUE ROOKIES IN POINTS! Even Couture and Grabner, who AREN'T true rookies with their experience, couldn't match Jeff Skinner.

So, JEFF SKINNER IS THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. PERIOD. PERIOD. PERIOD.

Thank You.

Totally agree.

[canes-in-7]

Totally agree.

so does sporting news:

Calder Trophy

“To the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition.”

1. Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes. He had this award all but sealed at the All-Star break, when we all learned that he’s an incredible person as well as player. Then his production dropped as Logan Couture and Michael Grabner surged. But Skinner’s production when the Hurricanes needed him most reclaimed this Calder vote. He had 16 points in Carolina’s final 19 games, led all rookies with 63 points and was one of three rookies with more than 30 goals.

2. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks. His emergence gave the Sharks the offensive depth they lacked. Dan Boyle called Couture the Sharks' best player for the sason's first half while his teammates got off to a slow start. Of his 32 goals, eight were game-winners.

3. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks. He led rookie goalies with 33 wins, and his 2.30 goals-against average was the best of any rookie who started at least 30 games.

4. Sergei Bobrovsky, Philadelphia Flyers. A revelation, from the moment he arrived at training camp. Nothing seems to rattle Bobrovsky, which is crucial for a Flyers goalie.

5. Michael Grabner, New York Islanders. He led rookies with 34 goals and was a weapon on the penalty kill. Only teammate Frans Nielsen had more shorthanded goals than Grabner’s six.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2011-04-14/nhl-awards-ballot-perry-lidstrom-skinner-are-trophy-worthy#ixzz1JbLXwIi9

[hopper915]

The 3 FINALISTS for the CALDER have been announced!

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=560231

Couture, Skinner, Grabner round out Calder finalists

Tuesday, 04.19.2011 / 12:01 PM / Trophy Tracker

By Brian Hunter - NHL.com Staff Writer

It isn't every season that a NHL rookie eclipses the 30-goal mark.

This year's list of nominees for the Calder Trophy, awarded annually "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League," features not one, not two but three such rookies.

Michael Grabner of the New York Islanders leads the pack with 34 goals, Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks follows with 32 and Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes lit the lamp on 31 occasions.

It marks the first time since 2005-06, the season Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin entered the League, that there have been multiple rookies who scored at least 30 goals. That season, Marek Svatos and Petr Prucha were also on the list for a total of four.

The 2011 Calder nominees are an interesting group to consider.

Although he finished with the fewest goals of the three, Skinner led all rookies in scoring with 63 points. He made the Hurricanes roster as an 18-year-old after being the No. 7 pick in the 2010 Entry Draft and became the seventh-youngest player in NHL history to record a 30-goal season. His popularity in Carolina soared when he was named to the All-Star Game and played on Team Staal in front of the hometown fans at the RBC Center in late January.

Grabner probably wasn't at the top of anyone's list of candidates for the Calder when he was waived by Florida at the end of training camp after being acquired from Vancouver during the offseason. Picked up by the Islanders and given an opportunity to see the ice regularly, Grabner quickly became part of their top line and regularly displayed the speed that won him the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater competition during All-Star Weekend. Grabner led all rookies with 6 shorthanded goals and finished third with 52 points.

Couture got his feet wet with the Sharks by playing in 25 games in 2009-10 and parlayed that into a starring role this season, finishing second on the team to Patrick Marleau in goals and sixth with 56 points. He led all rookies with 10 power-play goals and 8 game-winning goals, the latter total placing him in a tie for seventh among all NHL players. Couture was a vital cog in the Sharks winning their fourth consecutive Pacific Division crown and capturing the second seed in the Western Conference. He scored in San Jose's opening game win in its first-round series with the Kings, which is knotted at one-all going into tonight's Game 3 at Los Angeles (Versus, TSN, 10 p.m. ET).

Edited April 19, 2011 by hopper915

[indaboardz]

Hands down...Skinner....as he is the only TRUE rookie nominated!!!!!

[jorie94]

Looking for a Skinner shirt.

Original post here:

[TSA]

Jeff Skinner Selected as Finalist for Calder Trophy

Forward one of three finalists for NHL’s rookie of the year honor

Tuesday, 04.19.2011 / 12:01 PM / News

By Terrell Williams

RALEIGH, NC – The National Hockey League today announced that Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner has been selected as one of three finalists for the 2010-11 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2011 NHL Awards, which will be held at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas on June 22. The other finalists for the Calder Trophy are San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture and New York Islanders forward Michael Grabner.

Skinner, 18, completed his first NHL season in 2010-11, and ranked first among league rookies in points (63), second in assists (32) and third in goals (31). The Markham, Ont., native was tied for second among NHL rookies in power-play assists (12) and power-play points (18), and trailed only Eric Staal among Hurricanes skaters in goals and points. Skinner (5’11”, 193 lbs.) scored his 30^th goal on April 6 against Detroit, becoming the youngest player in franchise history and the seventh-youngest player in NHL history to score 30 goals (18 years, 325 days). Thirteen of Skinner’s 30 goals came in the third period, leading all Carolina skaters, and the Hurricanes were 20-4-2 when Skinner found the net in 2010-11.

Skinner was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in January after tallying nine goals and five assists (14 points) and a plus-6 rating in 14 games. He became the youngest All-Star in NHL history when he skated for Team Staal at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game at the RBC Center at the age of 18 years, 259 days, breaking the record set by Steve Yzerman (18 years, 267 days) in 1984. Skinner made his NHL debut for the Hurricanes on Oct. 7, 2010, against the Minnesota Wild in Helsinki, Finland, and became the youngest player in franchise history to earn a point the next night. He became the youngest player in team history to score a goal when he beat Jonathan Bernier for his first NHL goal on Oct. 20 in Los Angeles. Skinner’s 31 goals rank as the second-most by a rookie in franchise history, behind Sylvain Turgeon’s 40-goal rookie season in 1983-84.

Past winners of the Calder Memorial Trophy include Bobby Orr, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, Teemu Selanne, Martin Brodeur, Peter Forsberg, Alexander Ovechkin and Patrick Kane. Hurricanes Assistant Coach Tom Barrasso won the award with the Buffalo Sabres in 1984. No player in the 30-year history of the Hurricanes franchise has won the Calder Trophy.

Jeff Skinner on NHL Home Ice

http://downloads.hurricanes.nhl.com/audio/interviews/11-04-19%20Jeff%20Skinner.mp3

Which of the following of Skinner's 31 goals was your favorite?

http://video.hurricanes.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlp=8475784&fr=false&navid=DL|CAR|home

[g105]

And some support for Skinner: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=40&id=109743

[UNCCaniac8]

So proud of our "Skins" !!! If I were voting I would say his age and the fact that he has had NO AHL exposure, and still did what he did this season has to count for something. But then, we are all partial to him , arent we ?

I usually watch the NHL awards---but this year, win or not, I will have a special reason to watch ! GO SKINNER !!

[Ichigo-1]

I think it is worth pointing out as well that he played all 82 games this season, which even for the most conditioned veteran is a difficult task.

[g105]

Saw this over on the Sharks board relative to the Calder award:

http://fans.sharks.nhl.com/community/topic/12684-calder-finalists-announced/

[jb_online]

Saw this over on the Sharks board relative to the Calder award:

http://fans.sharks.nhl.com/community/topic/12684-calder-finalists-announced/

We have the media on OUR side?! This is the first time in franchise history someone could say that about our organization. Relish the moment, Caniacs.

[g105]

jb, i thought the same thing. With the East Coast bias added to the anti-Sunbelt sentiment, it would seem that there are precious few teams with ANY media support. But in order not to get into an argument over on their board, I let that comment slide by.

[TSA]

4/20

Jeff Skinner on 620 TheBuzz w/ Mike Maniscalco

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/hurricanes/audio/9466284/

[bluedevil58]

If Jeff Skinner doesn't win the Calder I will be disappointed.

Discuss!

[dinz]

it will be a travesty! skinner wins it..Cant wait to see skinner and marchand going at each other this year..

[TSA]

I'd be stunned if he didn't win it and not because I'm a Canes fan. All my Bruins friends up in Boston think he's a lock for it.