Matty Beniers Wins Calder Trophy as NHL’s Rookie of the Year
Matty Beniers wrapped up his first full season in the NHL by taking home the Calder Trophy. A historic second season for the Seattle Kraken caps off with their most electric player taking home the award given to the league’s rookie of the year. The accomplishment should not come as a surprise. Beniers was a dominating force throughout the entire season, and really stepped up his two-way play in the playoffs.
Beniers who finished the year with 24 goals, 33 assists, and 57 points in 80 games, entered the season with high expectations. Being drafted number two overall in the 2021-22 NHL Entry Draft, and then scoring 3 goals, 6 assists and 9 points in his 10 -game NHL preview, meant Beniers was expected to carry a large offensive load to help make the Kraken relevant. Fans, coaches and teammates had huge plans for the 20-year old.
Boy did he deliver.
Beniers did not play like your typical 20-year old. Majority of the season he looked like a seasoned vet. Centering the Seattle top scoring line, Beniers quickly became a two-way stud and a force to be reckoned with. He has established himself as one of the NHL’s top centers, a position that all teams who look to contend for a Stanley Cup must have. He seemed to shine the brightest on the biggest stage.
"The boys, my teammates, I love you guys. You guys were so great - you taught me so much this year and you're a huge reason why I'm up here today."
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 27, 2023
Matty's acceptance speech got us in our feels 🥹 pic.twitter.com/JSSlXEH4HG
During the postseason Beniers had 3 goals, 4 assists, and 7 points in 14 games, but his defensive play stuck out the most. In the first round against the defending Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, Beniers matched up evenly against of the best in the NHL in Nathan MacKinnon. Seattle was able to weather the storm and upset the Avalanche. Calm, cool, and collected.
There was never a doubt that he would take home this prestigious award, and now has a place in NHL history as one of the best rookies ever. The kid has a history of playing at a high level and playing in big games. The Kraken are set for the foreseeable future and will continue to build around their sure-to-be future captain.
One last thought; with Beniers centering the Kraken top line, get ready to see Shane Wright take over their second line center role. The thought of this has me salivating already.
Congratulations Matty! It was fun cheering you on this season!
Fear the deep!