Binnington, Dahlin, Pettersson voted Calder Trophy finalists

Goaltender Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and center Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks are the three finalists for the 2018-19 Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition,” the National Hockey League announced.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Calder Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 19, during the 2019 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Dahlin, the first overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, led all rookie defensemen and ranked third among all rookies in points, with 44 (9 goal, 35 assists in 82 games played). His 35 assists ranked second among all rookies, as did his average ice time per game (21:09). With his assist on March 20 vs. Toronto, Dahlin passed Bobby Orr (38 points in 1966-67) for the second-most points by an NHL defenseman before his 19th birthday.

The Lidkoping, Sweden, native notched eight multi-point games this season, tied for the second-most by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history (Phil Housley: 13, Orr: 8). Dahlin is the first Sabres player voted a Calder finalist since Tyler Myers captured the award in 2009-10. He looks to join Myers, Tom Barrasso (1983-84) and Gilbert Perreault (1970-71) as the fourth rookie of the year winner in franchise history.

 From 1936-37 until his death in 1943, NHL President Frank Calder purchased a trophy each year to be given permanently to the league’s outstanding rookie. After Calder’s death, the NHL presented the Calder Trophy in his memory.

The NHL Awards will be held on Wednesday, June 19, at Mandalay Bay Events Center. This marks the first year the event will be held at the resort’s sports and entertainment venue – and the first time Bridgestone will be the presenting sponsor of the event. NBCSN and Sportsnet will broadcast the event live in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, at 8 p.m. ET.

Tickets to the 2019 NHL Awards are on sale to the general public at www.nhl.com/awardstickets. This ticket opportunity is available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

A full lineup of presenters and entertainment will be announced at a future date. Fans can tweet about the event using the official hashtag #NHLAwards.