Macklin Celebrini, Lane Hutson, and Dustin Wolf were named finalists for the Calder Trophy on Monday.
The winner of the award, given annually to the top rookie in the NHL as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, will be announced at a later date.
Celebrini was chosen by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old forward scored 25 goals in 70 games, second among rookies behind Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov. His 63 points were tied with Michkov for second. He had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut, a 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues at SAP Center on Oct. 10. His goal at 7:01 of the first period was the second-fastest in NHL history by a player selected with the No. 1 pick behind Mario Lemieux, who scored his first for the Pittsburgh Penguins 2:59 into his debut Oct. 11, 1984.
Celebrini's hat trick and two assists in an 8-7 loss to the Minnesota Wild on April 9 made him the sixth 18-year-old in NHL history with a five-point game, joining Connor Bedard (March 12, 2024), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Nov. 19, 2011), Ilya Kovalchuk (Jan. 19, 2002), Dale Hawerchuk (March 13, 1982) and Jack Hamilton (Dec. 4, 1943). He also was the first Sharks rookie and seventh San Jose player with at least five points in one game.
Hutson, a 21-year-old defenseman, led NHL rookies in assists (60) and points (66) in 82 games. Selected by Montreal in the second round (No. 62) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Hutson got his 65th point of the season with an assist on Juraj Slafkovsky's goal in the third period of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Bell Centre on April 14 to break a tie with Chris Chelios for the most by a rookie defenseman in Canadiens history.
Wolf was 29-16-8 with a 2.64 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and three shutouts in 53 games for the Calgary Flames. The 24-year-old made 27 saves in a 3-2 victory against the Sharks at Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 23 to become the fifth-fastest United States-born rookie goalie to 20 wins in a season behind Frank Brimsek (27 games in 1938-39), Ryan Miller (28 in 2005-06), Tom Barrasso (31 in 1983-84) and Jeremy Swayman (33 in 2021-22).
The seventh-round pick (No. 214) by the Flames in the 2019 NHL Draft, Wolf has a chance to be the first goalie to win the Calder since Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2009.
