The Calder Trophy, named after former NHL President Frank Calder, is awarded to the hockey player judged to be the most proficient in his first season.
One would think that the top overall draft pick would have an excellent shot at winning this award each season. However, that isn't generally the case. In fact, we have to look all the way back to 1985 when a young Mario Lemieux was named rookie of the year to find the last time that the first overall pick was also the best first-year player.
Due to the lockout, there is a unique situation this season in which there are two rookies who were both taken as the top pick in their respective drafts. The Washington Capitals drafted Alexander Ovechkin with the top pick in the 2004 draft, while the Pittsburgh Penguins took Sidney Crosby with the first selection in 2005.
There is a strong possibility that one of these young stars will win the Calder Trophy this season. This week, I thought it would be interesting to see how Ovechkin and Crosby have been holding up through the first few weeks of the season.
Sidney Crosby
Basketball fans have long been looking for the 'heir' to Michael Jordan's throne. Since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux began re-writing NHL records two decades ago, hockey fans have also been looking for 'The Next One'. If 'Sid the Kid' lives up to expectations, he may fit the bill. Indeed, no player has entered the league with as much hype since Eric Lindros was a rookie 14 years ago.
Crosby, listed at 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, hails from Nova Scotia and was born in 1987. He played for Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season. Additionally, Crosby played for the Canadian National Junior team. He tallied an impressive 92 goals and 127 assists in 86 combined games.
Crosby is surrounded by a numerous offensive stars, including Lemieux, John LeClair, Ziggy Palffy, Sergei Gonchar and Mark Recchi. Through eight games, Crosby has two goals and nine assists. Despite all the obvious offensive fire-power and Crosby's strong stats, the Penguins remain winless.
Alexander Ovechkin
Unlike Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin plays for a rebuilding team and doesn't have much of a supporting cast. Ovechkin is already expected to be the Capitals' best player. While Crosby could be compared to Gretzky, at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, Ovechkin is more of a power-forward along the lines of Lemieux or Lindros.
Ovechkin, born in Russia, played for his country in the World Cup at 18 and played for the Moscow Dynamo starting at age 16. Ovechkin could have earned more money by playing with Avangard Omsak, a Russian "Super League" team. Instead, he elected to follow his boyhood dream and play in the NHL.
Through nine games, Ovechkin has six goals and four assists. The Capitals have three wins and six losses.
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