Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason and Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg are the finalists for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year, the league announced Wednesday.Versteeg, a fifth-round choice (134th overall) of the Boston Bruins in 2004, led all rookies with 31 assists while finishing second to Ryan with 53 points. The 22-year-old from Lethbridge added a rookie-best four short-handed goals. "Bobby Ryan and Mason, those are two pretty special players and to be loaded into a class with those guys, it's a huge compliment for myself," Versteeg said Wednesday from Calgary, where the Blackhawks were facing the Flames in a Western Conference quarter-final series. "I was a bit surprised. It caught me off guard. This year, I've always known I could help offensively and I was put in some situations to succeed and just tried to do my best with that." Versteeg played with the Lethbridge Hurricanes from 2002-2005 and compiled 119 points in 3 seasons.
Story from the Canadian Press
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