Marco Rossi from Vorarlberg has been voted into the Rookie Team of the Season in the National Hockey League (NHL) by North American ice hockey journalists. The 22-year-old center of the Minnesota Wild received the second most votes among the strikers behind Connor Bedard, who was also awarded the Calder Trophy for the best rookie, as expected.
Rossi is the second Austrian, after Michael Grabner (New York Islanders) in the 2010/11 season, to be named to the NHL’s rookie team. Among other things, he impressed with 21 goals, making him the second-best goal scorer of all young players who completed their first full season, and he won by far the most face-offs of all rookies.
Bedard from the Chicago Blackhawks and the two defenders Brock Faber, Rossi’s teammate in Minnesota, and Luke Hughes (New Jersey Devils) were chosen by all 192 journalists who voted. Rossi received 145 votes, Logan Cooley (Arizona Coyotes) 144, the rest fell significantly behind. In goal, the choice clearly fell to Pjotr Koschetkow (Carolina Hurricanes).
At the awards ceremony in Las Vegas, Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) was awarded the Hart Trophy as MVP (most valuable player) of the season. Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) won the vote for best defenseman, and Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) was voted goalie of the season.
