LAS VEGAS—Auston Matthews solidified his star standing on Wednesday night, named rookie of the year in the NHL, becoming the first Maple Leaf in 51 years to earn the Calder Trophy.The first overall pick in the 2016 and one with the unusual back story in having learned his hockey in Arizona, Matthews turned heads from his first game when he scored four goals and has revitalized the once-proud franchise.The 40-goal scorer beat out Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine and Columbus’s Zach Werenski in voting from the Professional Hockey Writers Association.It was a landslide victory for Matthews, garnering 164 of 167 first-place votes. Three voters put Laine first and Matthews second. Mitch Marner finished fifth in voting and William Nylander sixth.In other awards presented early, Oilers captain Connor McDavid was named the Ted Lindsay winner as most outstanding player, as voted on by the players; Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron won his fourth Selke as top defensive forward, tying Montreal Hall of Famer Bob Gainey for the highest number of Selkes won; and San Jose’s Brent Burns was named top defenceman, taking his first Norris Trophy.Columbus coach John Tortorella beat out Toronto’s Mike Babcock for the Jack Adams Award.Matthews’ win, the first Calder for a Leaf since Brit Selby in 1966, could well be a watershed moment for the Leafs, who made the playoffs just two years into a teardown that began with the firing of Randy Carlyle in 2015. It’s a team built on youth: Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander at the forefront.“Finally, Leafs fans something to hope for,” said hockey historian Paul Patskou. “Legitimate prospects. Something they should have done a long time ago.”Post-season awards for the Leafs — a Lady Byng here, a Masterton there — have been few and far between for a franchise now on 50 years and counting from its last Stanley Cup. But Matthews taking the Calder has a deeper ...
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