1459 – Number of career regular season points that the three 2008 Calder Memorial Trophy finalists have tallied over their first seven-plus seasons in the NHL. All three of those finalists will be playing tonight at the United Center in Chicago. All three players were drafted within the top five of their respective draft classes: Nicklas Backstrom (2006 draft, fourth overall), Jonathan Toews (2006 draft, third overall), and Patrick Kane (2007 draft, first overall). While Kane was the one who eventually went home with the hardware, it was Nicklas Backstrom who helped lead his team to it’s first playoff birth since 2003. It’s probably worth noting that Toews and Kane were integral parts of the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup runs of 2010 and 2013.
Good luck finding a better class of Calder Trophy Finalists than that of the 2007-2008 season.