Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider got what he deserved: he was the top voter for the 2022 Calder Trophy.
The annual award recognizes the NHL’s top rookie. It’s the first time it’s been awarded to a Wings player since Roger Crozier in 1965. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association voted at the end of the regular season. Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting were the other finalists.
Seider was on hand to accept the trophy at Tuesday’s NHL Awards in Tampa, Florida.
“It’s a very big honor,” Seider said, after stopping to pick up the card with the winner’s name, which had fallen from presenter Jake Thibeault’s lap as he sat in his wheelchair, and having returned it to Thibeault. “I haven’t prepared a speech, so just go with the flow and don’t spoil it.
“An excellent organization with Detroit, gave me a lot of confidence. Very happy to be here.”
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Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, and Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy (voted by NHL general managers) as the top goaltender. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews won the Ted Lindsay Award (MVP as voted by the NHL Players Association) and the Hart Trophy.
Seider joked that his parents couldn’t be there because “they just got back from Croatia and they thought it was more important to go on vacation.”
Seider also thanked “the city of Detroit. Great fans. Great fun being a Red Wing.”
Seider received 170 of a possible 195 votes for first place. His 1,853 points beat Zegras’ 1,191 and Bunting’s 877. His Wings teammate Lucas Raymond finished fourth with 499 points.
Seider accomplished something that eluded three of the biggest stars in franchise history: Hall of Famers Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Nicklas Lidstrom. All three were finalists: Yzerman in 1984 to Tom Barrasso; Fedorov in 1991 to Ed Belfour, and Lidstrom in 1992 to Pavel Bure.
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Seider was drafted 6th overall in 2019. He spent the 2019-20 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He had been slated to start his NHL career in the fall of 2020, but that was hampered by the pandemic. Instead, the Wings loaned Seider to Rögle in the Swedish Hockey League, and Seider flourished to the point of being named SHL Defenseman of the Year. He turned that into a stellar start to his career with the Wings, becoming the first defenseman since Lidstrom in 2010-11 to reach 50 points.
“Mo immediately became an impact player and set many Red Wings rookie records this year, and I’m proud to join our team, the fans and the NHL in saluting his accomplishments,” said the Wings owner Chris Ilitch in a statement. “We are thrilled for Mo and his family, and look forward to his bright future as we all work towards our goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Hockeytown.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Learn more about the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. His book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph books. Personalized copies available via his email.