Huberdeau A Finalist For Calder Trophy

Jonathan Huberdeau has been named a finalist for the NHL’s Calder Trophy.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs captain and all-time leading scorer is up against Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher and Chicago’s Brandon Saad. The Calder Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League’s top rookie.

According to NHL.com, “all of this season's award winners will be announced during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, with more detail on format to be released at a later date.”

Huberdeau, the third overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2011 NHL Draft, finished his first pro season with 31 points in 48 games. He finished in a tie with Edmonton’s Nail Yakupov - who was not nominated for the Calder Trophy – for the rookie scoring lead.

Huberdeau’s 14 goals were third most amongst rookies behind Yakupov (17) and Gallagher (15). His 17 assists were fourth most.

One of the big differences between Huberdeau and the other two nominees is the quality of teams they play for. Huberdeau had 31 points on the NHL’s worst team while Gallagher and the Canadiens finished with the fourth best overall record and Saad and the Blackhawks finished first.

The nomination caps off a great year for the Sea Dogs franchise at the NHL level. Five other former Dogs – Charlie Coyle, Simon Despres, Nathan Beaulieu, Mike Hoffman, and Eric Gelinas – all saw action in the NHL this year.