...On being voted the overwhelming winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.
And I'm happy to note that it wasn't even close:
But Ovechkin wasn't always the favorite to win the Calder. Before the season, the trophy had all but been handed to Crosby, the Penguins' first overall pick last year, by the Canadian media, which had chronicled his career since he was in juniors. Ovechkin was a near-unanimous selection, receiving 124 of 129 first-place votes and five second-place votes for 1,275 points.
I'm also happy to report that Caps goalie Olie Kolzig got the King Clancy for his work with Athletes Against Autism and the Carson Kolzig Foundation. Washington is lucky to have Olie on board both on and off the ice. Congratulations!
For the information on the rest of the hardware the league handed out last night, click here. I don't have any quibbles with any of the winners, and was especially happy to see Rod Brind'Amour walk away with the Selke.
