Arizona Coyotes star rookie Max Domi was not voted in as one of the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy. The trophy is awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.”
Arizona Coyotes rookie Max Domi helped reinvigorate a franchise with his relentless motor and deft touch, scoring 52 points in his rookie season.
It wasn’t enough to be a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, however.
Instead, the three finalists are Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, Oilers centerman Connor McDavid, and Blackhawks winger Artemi Panarin.
Despite the 52 points, highlight reel assists and goals, and the fact that Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Louis Domingue – three rookies, no less – carried an overachieving Arizona Coyotes team through portions of the season, he’ll receive no recognition at the 2016 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.
Domi’s eye-popping skill and myriad contributions to the Arizona Coyotes have gone largely unnoticed by the national hockey media throughout the 2015-16 season. Him being a casualty of a very deep rookie class should come as no surprise to longtime fans of hockey in the desert.
More from Howlin' Hockey
- How the Arizona Coyotes could line-up with Logan Cooley signed
- Report: Logan Cooley could be closer to signing Arizona Coyotes ELC
- Arizona Coyotes sign Matias Maccelli to three-year deal
- Ivan Prosvetov signs one-year deal with Arizona Coyotes
- Arizona Coyotes cut Galchenyuk after reported police incident
The names that were chosen are all very deserving.
Shayne Gostisbehere was a revelation on the blue line for Philadelphia. If not for his coming out party, the Flyers would have been nowhere near a postseason showdown with the Washington Capitals. Artemi Panarin was sensational playing on the opposite wing of Patrick Kane, easily outpacing all other rookies in points.
Connor McDavid? Well, he’s Connor McDavid. There’s little doubt he would have won the award outright had he not had an unfortunate injury that robbed him of almost half of his rookie season.
There were other standout names as well. Jack Eichel, once a presumptive Arizona Coyotes building block, scored 24 goals and bagged 56 points. Dylan Larkin nabbed headlines regularly, though he was outpaced in scoring by Domi and only narrowly beat out Anthony Duclair with 45 points to the Duke’s 44 on the season.
For all the accolades and highlights you could tally for those names, however, few matched the total contribution of Domi both on the ice and in the locker room.
Max Domi has become a household name here in Arizona. His personality and commitment have captured fans’ hearts. His leadership during a long awaited rookie campaign evoked shades of Captain Coyote himself.
Next: Coyotes 10 Best Goals From The 2nd Half Of 2015-16
Ultimately it’s points and markets that matter.
Domi was merely third in scoring among rookies in the NHL. He doesn’t play in Philadelphia, Chicago, or another more traditional hockey market. He plays here in the desert.
Snubbed or not, he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with over the next decade. Perhaps the rest of the NHL will notice him then.