Defenseman Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres has won the Calder Memorial Trophy for 2009-2010, awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.”
Myers received 94-of-133 first-place votes and 1,178 points, outdistancing Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard (778 points) and Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene (755). Myers not only won an NHL roster spot as a 19-year-old, he posted statistics befitting an established veteran.
The 6’8″, 222-lb. defenseman led the Sabres in ice time per game (23:44), three minutes more than blueline partner Henrik Tallinder, who ranked second. He shared second place on the club in plus-minus (+13) and was fifth in scoring (11-37–48). Myers ranked at or near the top in several rookie categories, including average ice time (first), shorthanded time (first, 3:04), assists (first), blocked shots (first, 137), plus-minus (T-second) and points (third). He also was one of four rookies to play all 82 games.
The Sabres’ top pick, 12th overall, in the 2008 Entry Draft, Myers is the first defenseman to win the Calder since St. Louis’ Barret Jackman in 2003 and the third player in franchise history, following Gilbert Perreault (1971) and Tom Barrasso (1984).
2009-2010 Calder Trophy voting
Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th)
1. Tyler Myers, BUF 1178 (94-29-5-3-1)
2. Jimmy Howard, DET 778 (24-45-34-16-5)
3. Matt Duchene, COL 755 (12-42-53-25-1)
4. Tuukka Rask, BOS 339 (2-14-19-31-33)
5. John Tavares, NYI 303 (0-2-18-50-49)
6. Niclas Bergfors, ATL 30 (0-0-2-2-14)
7. Jamie Benn, DAL 20 (0-0-1-2-9)
8. Michael Del Zotto, NYR 15 (0-1-0-0-8)
9. Victor Hedman, T.B. 6 (0-0-1-0-1)
10. Evander Kane, ATL 6 (0-0-0-1-3)
11. Johnny Boychuk, BOS 3 (0-0-0-1-0)
Cody Franson, NSH 3 (0-0-0-1-0)
13. T.J. Galiardi, COL 3 (0-0-0-0-3)
James van Riemsdyk, PHI 3 (0-0-0-0-3)
15. Tyler Bozak, TOR 2 (0-0-0-0-2)
- From NHL news release
