TOP OF HIS CLASS
Auston Matthews caps remarkable season by becoming first Maple Leaf to win the Calder Trophy since 1966,
LAS VEGAS— It was a bit of a running joke at the NHL Awards that Auston Matthews was just 19 years old in a city that wouldn’t let him have any fun. The drinking age is 21 in Las Vegas.
But his youth is what makes his achievements in 2016-17 so remarkable, and what makes the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs so promising.
The Leafs centre solidified his star standing on Wednesday night when he was named rookie of the year in the NHL, becoming the first Maple Leaf in 51 years to earn the Calder Trophy.
It’s a recognition of a whirlwind year, one that changed his life and the course of a franchise. From being drafted first overall to a four-goal debut and a 40-goal season, the wunderkind has given himself a tough act to follow but promised to be better.
“Individually, you want to take a step forward,” Matthews said. “As a team, you want to take a step forward. We got a taste of the playoffs this year. We want to continue to push it and obviously achieve that ultimate goal.”
Matthews won the Calder in a landslide, with 164 off 167 first-place votes. Three voters put Winnipeg Jets sniper Patrick Laine ahead of Matthews. Defenceman Zach Werenski finished third in voting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Matthews teammates Mitch Marner and William Nylan- der were fifth and sixth, respectively, more recognition that the young Leafs are on the right track.
“You want to perform individually but you want to do what you can to help the team win,” Matthews said. “I think I did a pretty good job at that, at the same time having some fun out there. I played with a lot of really good players. We are young team trying to get better.’
Youth won the day with 20-yearold Connor McDavid a double winner, taking the Hart Trophy as most valuable player as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and the Ted Lindsay, as the most outstanding player as voted by the players.
Matthews’ win, the first Calder by a Leaf since Brit Selby in 1966, could well be a watershed moment for the Leafs, who made the playoffs just two years into a teardown. It’s a team built on youth, with Matthews, Marner and Nylander at the forefront.
“Finally, Leafs fans something to hope for,” said hockey historian Paul Patskou. “Legitimate prospects. Something they should have done a long time ago.”
Post-season awards for the Leafs have been few and far between for a franchise now on 50 years and counting from its last Stanley Cup. But Mathews taking the Calder has a deeper meaning.
“An award winner like rookie of the year . . . huge,” Patskou said. “People are back on the bandwagon. They actually have hope. They made the playoffs, which was surprising. But they haven’t won any trophies. Win- ning a trophy (like this) signifies a real start of the new era.
“It’s legitimacy, or proof that they really are on their way because they have a legitimate star that has been recognized around the league.”
This week in Las Vegas has been a reunion of sorts for Matthews and McDavid. The two were linemates last September in the World Cup of Hockey with Jets forward Mark Scheiffele, finding magic instantaneously.
“Starting at the World Cup, you kind of knew he was a little bit different than any other rookie,” McDavid said of Matthews. “He was so dynam- ic. He was so fun to play with . . .
“Auston had a great year. And to do it in the hockey hub of the world in Toronto, where hockey is all that matters, is even more impressive. It’s good for him.”
Matthews is a realistic challenger to McDavid to succeed Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby as the face of the game. A friendly rivalry could ensue, particularly if they reach the Stanley Cup final.
“You obviously want to get there,” McDavid said. “(The Leafs) are going to be a good team for a long, long time with those young guys. They have a great coach.”