NHL Needs To Change Calder Trophy Eligibility Rules

The NHL revealed the finalists for the Calder Trophy given to the Rookie of the Year. For the umptienth time in hockey history, there’s a controversial candidate on the list.

Joining the much deserved nominees in Detroit Red Wings defenceman Moritz Seider and Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, is 26 year old Michael Bunting of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

To his credit, Bunting had a surprising and fantastic season with the Leafs. In 79 games he scored 23 goals and 40 assists for 63 points. In comparison, Seider scored 50 points and Zegras 61. That being said, putting a 26 year old eligible for becoming rookie of the year is completely absurd.

Rules state that to be eligible, a player must be a maximum of 26 years old before September 15th of the current season.

Bunting turned 26 on September 17th.

Furthermore, the player must have played in less than 25 NHL games in the previous season as well as less than 6 games in a “recognized professional hockey league”.

Bunting has played 21 NHL games the year propr and 323 career games in the AHL, but somehow the NHL does not recognize it’s affiliate league as a professional league. The same could be said of the KHL where Artemi Panarin and Kiril Kaprizov somewhat controversially won their Calder Trophies in similar fashion.

The age regulation changed following the extremely controversial win of Sergei Makarov of the Calgary Flames who was 31 at the time of his Calder Trophy victory, after playing the bulk of his career for the Red Army.

Ironically, Wayne Gretzky was denied a Calder Trophy nomination at the conclusion of the 1979-80 campaign as he had played a full season in the WHA, which in this case was considered a direct competition to the NHL even if the league has vehemently denied such claims as time went on.

Tony Esposito received similar flack for being 26 when he won the Calder Trophy in 1970 with the Chicago Blackhawks after playing in 13 games for the Canadiens the year prior.

Ed Belfour was 25 at the time of his Calder Trophy win in 1991. The Blackhawks were accused of holding Belfour back when he had played 23 games two years prior and forced him play for the Canadian National Team the year prior rather than let him play in the NHL.

There are many similar stories in NHL history of players unfairly winning trophies. Michael Bunting had a great season, but he’s not a rookie no matter how you spin it. Tanner Jeannot of the Nashville Predators scored a league leading 24 goals amongst rookies and did not get nominated. Nor did Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings who finished with 57 points.

Even Cole Caufield, who absolutely dominated the NHL in the final three months of the regular season, is more deserving of a nomination. Though we all know if it wasn’t for that Ducharme-inflicted crumbling to begin the season, Caufield would be running away with the Calder as we speak.

The story of a career AHLer making it to the NHL at a later age and finding success is always a great story regardless of the team he plays for. In this case however, the league needs to update its rules and prevent someone from playing 300 plus games in the AHL to be eligible.

Not to mention they desperately need to change the name of some of their trophies.

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