NHL Reveals Calder Trophy Finalists

The NHL has revealed the three finalists for the Calder Trophy, or 2024-25 Rookie of the Year.

Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) considers his options with the puck against the Washington Capitals during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The NHL has announced the three finalists for the Calder Trophy after an extremely tight race all season long. The Calder is handed out annually to the player who is “most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL,” better known as the Rookie of the Year.

The three finalists for the 2024-25 Calder Trophy are Lane Hutson from the Montreal Canadiens, Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames, and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks,.

TOP ROOKIES! 👏

Macklin Celebrini, Lane Hutson & Dustin Wolf are your Calder Trophy finalists — awarded to the NHL’s most outstanding first-year player. #NHLAwards

Find out where the next wave of young talent might be going during tonight's #NHLDraft Lottery which is about to… pic.twitter.com/k14qihgZRx

— NHL (@NHL) May 5, 2025

It was known pretty early on deciding a Calder winner wouldn’t be easy, with numerous players entering the league with high expectations and others proving they are worthy of certain notoriety.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, Hutson was one of the most highly anticipated rookies in the NHL. He made his NHL debut at the tail end of the 2023-24 season with a pair of assists in two games played.

Hutson didn’t slow down in his first full season at the NHL level, recording 66 points (6G-60A), the most by any rookie defenseman in Canadiens franchise history. His 60 assists also tied Larry Murphy for the most by a rookie blue liner in NHL history.

Already a prolific puck mover, Hutson finished the 2024-25 campaign as the highest-scoring rookie in the NHL.

While there was a ton of hype around Hutson, fans of the Flames were amped to see what a young goalie in Wolf could bring to the table. In 53 games played through his rookie campaign, Wolf picked up a 29-16-8 record with three shutouts, a .910 save percentage, and 2.64 goals against average.

Wolf had appeared in 18 games through the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but retained his rookie status into the 2024-25 season.

The Flames weren't expected to go very far this year, but Wolf helped keep them in the playoff race deep into the season.

Celebrini entered the 2024-25 season as the latest first-overall pick, automatically putting a ton of weight on his shoulders. While the Sharks finished dead last in the NHL and might land the first overall pick again, Celebrini was one of the few bright spots.

After picking up a goal and an assist in the first game of the season, Celebrini suffered an injury that forced him out of the lineup for almost a month. After returning, however, he led the Sharks like a seasoned veteran.

In 70 games played, Celebrini picked up 25 goals and 38 assists for 63 points, the most on the Sharks. Along with fellow rookie Will Smith, the Sharks have a bright future ahead of them, and Celebrini will be a key name to watch for years to come.

The Calder Trophy race was tight all season and narrowing down the list to the three finalists seemed like a daunting task. There is a load of star power within these three youngsters and even beyond to those who didn’t get nominated. The NHL has an entertaining future ahead with numerous notable youngsters at the helm.

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