CALGARY, AB -- Western Hockey League graduate Kris Versteeg has been named among the three finalists for the Calder Trophy as the 2008-09 NHL Rookie of the Year.
The Chicago Blackhawks forward joins Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender Steve Mason and Anaheim Ducks’ forward Bobby Ryan as one of three first-year NHL players nominated for the award, presented annually to the NHL’s most outstanding rookie.
Versteeg, a product of Lethbridge, AB, scored 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 points to go with a +15 rating in 78 games for the Blackhawks, helping the team earn a playoff berth for the first time 2002.
The 5’10”, 180-lb winger finished fourth on the Blackhawks in scoring, led all NHL rookies with 31 assists, finished tied for fourth among NHL rookies in goals and +/-, and tied for fourth among all NHL players with four shorthanded goals.
There's no question there was tension in Chicago at the start of the season – the Hawks fired coach Denis Savard after only four games -- but Versteeg's early timely scoring and wit helped alleviate the pressure. He had 7 goals and 20 points in the first 20 games. His scoring slowed during the second half, but he finished with three points in the final four games.
Versteeg uses short, choppy strides and unpredictable changes of direction to make room for his outstanding puckhandling ability. He can carry the puck through traffic and resembles a basketball point guard in his ability to penetrate from the perimeter to the net. He learned to use his teammates to greater benefit during the course of the season.
The 22-year-old Versteeg played four seasons in the WHL, spending his first three campaigns (2002-05) with his hometown Lethbridge Hurricanes, alongside current Hawks’ teammate Brent Seabrook, then splitting the 2005-06 season between the Kamloops Blazers and Red Deer Rebels. Versteeg was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 5th round, 134th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. |
