Wild hits will continue...Clutterbuck signs extension

Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher continued solidifying a foundation for the future with the signing of Cal Clutterbuck today. Clutterbuck was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at seasons end, but with no mystery as to whether the 'hitting machine' would return...he signed a 3-year extension.

Below is the release along with a few notes from my inbox...

• The Wild (30-27-4) is in 13th position in the Western Conference, but is only five points behind eighth-place Calgary, with a game in hand. The Wild faces the Flames four times in its final 21 games.


• Minnesota carried a 6-4-0 mark in its last 10 games before the Olympic Break.


• The Wild plays 10 of its final 21 games at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota is 21-8-2 at home – the sixth-best points percentage of any NHL team at home.
• Minnesota will tie a franchise record playing 16 games in March (all in the final 29 days).


• The Wild plays nine of its final 21 games against teams not currently in playoff position
  

For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

MINNESOTA WILD SIGNS RW CAL CLUTTERBUCK TO A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed RW Cal Clutterbuck to a three-year contract extension. Clutterbuck will be available to the media upon the conclusion of today’s 10:30 a.m. practice at St. Thomas Arena.

“Cal is an intense competitor who has quickly become a fan favorite with the Wild,” Fletcher said. “We look forward to watching his development for years to come.”

Clutterbuck, 22 (11/18/87), set the NHL’s single-season hits mark in 2008-09 with 356, and again leads the NHL this season with 252 hits. Clutterbuck has recorded a career-high 12 goals in 54 games this season, while also tying his career-high with 18 points. The 5-foot-11, 213-pound native of Welland, Ont., has posted 36 points (23-13=36) and 110 penalty minutes in 134 games over two-plus seasons with the Wild. Clutterbuck was the Wild’s third-round pick (No. 72 overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Great seats are still available for all Minnesota Wild home games including Tuesday, March 9 when the Wild hosts the Florida Panthers. For more information on single game ticket packages visit www.wild.com/ticketpacks.

-- WILD --

Follow the Minnesota Wild on Twitter and Facebook.

Last opportunity knocking

It seems real simple to me and the opportunity is there to grab, staring the Minnesota Wild squarely in their faces. Win 4 of 5 during this pre-Olympic break 5-game home-stand and the teams already thin playoff hopes will still be alive, although thin they will still be. Anything less than 8 out of 10 points, and I think it is safe to say that it is over for this season.

After the loss to the Dallas Stars last night, Minnesota is 6 points out of contention for the 8th and final Western Conference playoff spot and as has been the case for about two months, points are at a premium. After the XXI Winter Olympics have concluded, the NHL schedule for the remainder of the season is a jam-packed event, with the Wild seeing three 4-game weeks in a row, virtually right after the break. So there is opportunity there to gain some ground but only if there were a long winning streak to go along with earning those pre-Olympic 8 points.

If only the team was not employing one sick goaltender and one with an injury...

Kurtz & Reid

I did not see the game against the Stars because I am a DirecTV subscriber (but I am still enjoying my free SportsPack and CenterIce package), but instead had the privilege of listening to a good portion of the game on the Wild's radio flagship station, WCCO. I say privilege because of play-by-play man Bob Kurtz and analyst Tom Reid, two of the best in the league.

There was an interesting exchange between Krutz and Reid during the game that arose from Stars agitator Steve Ott jumping Minnesota's Cal Clutterbuck after Clutterbuck leveled a clean hit on Dallas forward Brad Richards. What followed was some serious referee bashing from the broadcasters, who were both obviously irritated and incensed that there was no 'instigator' call from the officials. Now ordinarily this pair of Wild radio personalities are pretty tame and easy going when it comes to the way the game is being officiated. Don't get me wrong, they call it like they see it, but that usually does not include calling the referee 'gutless' for a non-call.

Great to hear...

Buyers or sellers?

If you can answer this, you are jumping the gun. The fact is that Wild GM Chuck Fletcher does even know yet which road to pursue. The team is still teetering on the playoff edge but after this five gamer has been concluded, the picture should be more clear as to which side the team is going to fall on. The reason I broach this subject is that yesterday I heard an interesting scenario that has not really crossed my mind this season, especially since the 4-year, $24 million deal was reached only last March with goaltender Niklas Backstrom. But the idea was that Backstrom is probably the top player on this team in terms of getting the most in return in a trade, something I do agree with. Now I am not suggesting that the Wild management should go this route, but it could bring up some interesting deals if Backstrom was to be added to the list of players available. First and foremost he would have to waive his 'no-trade' clause, which would most likely take some serious coaxing. But if he were to do that, and the Wild were looking to move him, imagine what he would bring in. Keep in mind that Backstrom is fast approaching 32 years old (February 13th), and it was not like he was a true freshman rookie when he first signed as a free agent back in 2006, as he had several professional seasons in Finland on his resume.

The Hockey Lodge, Burnsville style

Being from the 'south metro', this really got me going...

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild announced today that the team will open a new Hockey Lodge store in the Burnsville Center on Friday, Feb. 5. The new Hockey Lodge store will be located on the upper level of Burnsville Center (location 2017) next to Dick’s Sporting Goods.

“We are excited to open a Hockey Lodge location in the south metro area at the Burnsville Center,” said Director of Retail Operations Matt Freiberg. “This marks the first time in team history we will have three full-time, year-around Hockey Lodge stores operating in the Twin Cities.”

The 2,184 square foot store will feature a full selection of Wild team merchandise including jerseys, apparel and headwear for all ages, novelty accessories, collectible and player used and autographed items. The store will also carry Minnesota Swarm, Minnesota North Stars and Minnesota Fighting Saints jerseys, apparel, headwear and novelty items.

Burnsville Center is located at the intersection of 35W and 35E at County Road 42 in Burnsville. The Hockey Lodge at Burnsville Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The store’s phone number is (952) 435-7170.

Hockey Lodge stores are also located at Maplewood Mall and Xcel Energy Center. The new Burnsville Center Hockey Lodge store replaces The Mall of America store location that closed on Dec. 27, 2009.

ZetaBoards...forum upgrade

I have kept my old forum going for several years, since the fall of 2005 to be exact, and they have so far served me well. But the time had come to 'upgrade' the old IPB software to what has being offered, ZetaBoards. The host that houses my forum introduced this new format just over a year ago and I recently made the transition with my forums. Along with the slight cosmetic changes you will see, there are a ton of new features that are great to have and you will find that all of the original topics and members made the transition. And if you are not yet signed up, it is easy and painless...and I would really enjoy posting to someone other than myself!

Check out our 'new' Wild-Puck Forum.

Fletcher further stamping his team

Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is wheeling and dealing these days, as two low-level acquisitions were made recently. One move looks to add what hopes to be a piece that fits this hockey clubs puzzle, while the second move subtracted a piece that the GM's around these parts have been trying desperately to make fit. Neither move should make a huge impact but lower-level moves like these sometimes are the most important to a team because they fill role positions that are sometimes hard to come by...and you never know what a change in scenery will do for a player.

The latest move really takes a player off of our roster that has never reached the height of what the expectations were for him. Taken with Minnesota's first pick (4th overall) in the 2005 draft, Benoit Pouliot was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for LW Guillaume Latendresse. Pouliot was seen as a scoring sensation for his OHL Sudbury team, where in his last two seasons of juniors he amassed 132 points in 118 games. But as for his pro career in the AHL and NHL, there was not nearly as much offensive production. To date, he has only netted 18 points in 65 career NHL games. Drafted the same year (4th round, No. 45) Latendresse had higher amateur numbers than Pouloit but has similar point production per games in the NHL. He has netted 85 points (48-37) in 232 NHL games, all with the Canadiens, but was also seen as an underachiever within that organization...much like Pouliot was seen here. But over the past three seasons, Latendresse has averaged 15 goals a season and his 6'2"-230lb frame provides much needed size at the wing position.

Here is a good read on Latendresse from AllHabs...

The earlier move came via the waiver wire when the Wild claimed C Andrew Ebbett from the Chicago Blackhawks. This move seems to be a win-win for Minnesota and is one that should have the fans excited, as the upside to Ebbett could be big while the downside is basically non existent. Ebbett, a former Michigan Wolverines player who netted only 2 points against the Minnesota Gophers in 8 games, averages just over a half-point per game in the NHL, as he has scored 9 goals and added 24 assists in 63 career games. He is seen as a skilled player who will hopefully fill a huge void that the Wild have at the Center position, a void that has been present for several seasons.

Burns out...again

Unfortunately, the 'illness' that apparently sidelined D Brent Burns against the Islanders has turned into another concussion problem for our promising blue-liner. If you recall, Burns missed a big chunk at the end of last season with a concussion, one that seemed to have gone undiagnosed and had been possibly lingering for some time while he continued to play. This has not been a very strong season for Burns, and now one has to wonder if this once Canadian Olympic Team hopeful has again been playing when he maybe should have been sitting.

Clutterbuck domain dormant

There was rumblings last season that our own Cal Clutterbuck should be considered for the Calder Trophy as the leagues top rookie because of his checking craze. It was a tongue-and-cheek movement to say the least, and if you go back and check the dates you will find that it was actually started right here. But when the fan base kept the ball rolling on this Calder campaign, CalClutterbuck.com domain was purchased by someone local and a one page site was introduced to the web. However, after following up on the site this season you will find a 'GoDaddy.com' parking page, as there is no trace of Cal and site seems to be vacant and very dormant. This is unfortunately because being as popular as he is, one would think that with a character like Cal as the subject, page after page of info could fill a nice fan website.

At a loss over the loss

You have to love Mike Greenlay, the Minnesota Wild's television analyst. He certainly comes up with some great one-liners and phrases that can keep me entertained for months that go well beyond the hockey season. And last nights 'Clutterbuck factor' was another example of how his humor is often times dead-on. Cal Clutterbuck was once again putting up some big hits numbers when, in the second period, he ran into the elbow of Todd Bertuzzi. It would have been a nice hit, but because the elbow was extended specifically for Clutterbuck, Bertuzzi was given a penalty. Well in the end, the 6 hits that Clutterbuck threw did not jolt the Flames enough as Calgary left with a 3-2 ot victory...but the phrase does ring true. And however bad the loss is and was, at least I have another Greenlay phrase to add to my memory bank.

Ice that puck

A bad trend has crept into the Wild's game this season and that is the inability to get the puck out of the D-zone with a clean break-out play. And last night, in a game that could have been decided by the Flames in the first period, Calgary held the pressure on for a good part of the opening period. Although the shot-totals favored the Wild 11-7 in that period, from my vantage point, that was no indication of who had the upper-hand. The Flames clearly carried the play and Minnesota was fortunate to escape with only a 1-0 deficit. In fact, things got so bad in the defensive zone for the Wild that they took 4 icing whistles in the first, two coming on virtually the same shift. Now I have not kept track of the icing stats this season, but it seems to me that whipping the puck down the rink cannot be a good sign, especially from a team fighting for a playoff spot.

Shoot that puck

Ever since the Wild came to be, they have not been a team that often out-shoots their opponent. And so far, this has not seemed to hinder them all that much because they have always been a good team at capitalizing on the few chances that they do get. But going through a whole period with only a single shot on net is really puzzling to me. I cannot figure out how, by some lucky bounce or an errant pass, more than one puck does not hit the opposing goaltender. The simple fact is that if you don't shoot, you are not going to score. Minnesota is currently 2-tenths of a shot out of last place in the league in average shots per game. The team is in the middle of the pack when it comes to shots allowed, but it is clear that this team needs to simply shoot. It's amazes me how you can watch one team throw garbage at the goal and before you know it, that garbage has turned into a goal, as was the case on 2 of the 3 Calgary goals last night.

Lemaire is still the man

I have done a lot of speculation on Lemaire coming back for another season. In fact, I have flat out said that I don't think he will be back, and I still believe that. But that does not mean I want him gone. I actually happen to believe that he is one of the best, if not the best, coaches in the NHL. And I would be thrilled to have him stick around for as long as he likes. Truth be known, he is getting all he can out of his players. The problem is that he is getting all he can out of his players...he just does not have the right players. If you are honest about our lineup, you can see that we have a lot of 'nice' and 'good' players on the roster. But we certainly do not have the mix needed to make any run in the post season.

Some 'Wild' Cliche's

You know them all, this is a must win, it's now or never...There is no mistaken that tomorrow's Minnesota Wild game is an important one and you can chose how to hype it, but I believe the above phrases hold true. Not only did the team find a way to squander a first period 3-0 lead in their last game, they allowed 5 unanswered goals ,including 2 short-handed, and eventually lost to what was described as one of the 'worst teams in the East' in the Ottawa Senators. Well don't look now but the Wild are only 4 points from the bottom of the Western Conference heap.


The loss on Sunday was disturbing enough but too me more frightening was the way the team lost. You would not be that far off-target in saying that in fact, there was no 'team' during the second and third periods of that game. It was clear, and confirmed by our Coach Jacques Lemaire, that the Minnesota bunch had their own agenda that was quit different from that of the Wild coaching staff...and that should cause the most concern. There was a short period last season where the team deviated from the 'system' and they paid. The difference between then and now is the fact that this team is not enjoying a bit of a cushion atop the Northwest Division. Make no mistake however, neither team had or has the luxury of playing it 'their way'. Lemaire is the master at game-plans and the team succeeds only when they adhere to what is asked of them by the coach...which leads me to tomorrow's contest.

Lemaire clearly lost his team during the previous game and if the players do not respond against the Calgary Flames, it will become clear that they are no longer buying into the system. I firmly believe that Lemaire will not be back for another season and with any more diversions from what makes this team successful, he may not even stick around to finish this season. And to be clear, I don't think the team needs to win this game, but they need to put out a good effort, make a show of the game. This is not an all or nothing game, but the how the players bounce back from their embarrassment will go a long way in making or breaking the season in terms of how strong this team will finish out the regular season.

Clutterbuck subs for Boogaard

Derek Boogaard has been out of practice this week with an 'illness'...and was scheduled to make an appearance this past Monday for an autograph signing. So instead of sending our heavyweight, who is apparently still down for the count as he did not practice again today, the Wild instead sent our middleweight and fan favorite Cal Clutterbuck. If anyone was down at the Great Waters Brewing Company to see the NHL's hits leader, I'd love to hear about it.

Koivu's shiner: part II

By now I am sure you have all seen it...as it has been at least a couple of weeks since even I first noticed that Mikko Koivu was sporting a black eye. And who knows, by the game tomorrow, it may be gone. But the fact remains that no one reading this has clued me in to how this happened. Let it be known however, that this is not an important issue or topic but I know that Russo pretty much lets us know when a player has so much as a runny nose...and I did not hear anything from his camp as to what had happened. So I send this plea out again...fill me in and you may win a prize.

Random Thoughts...

The Boogy Man cracks

For the type of role Derek Boogaard fills, he is usually one cool customer. He has always played a much disciplined game, which is somewhat of a surprise considering the type of player he faces every night. And he has never been looked upon as a liability, penalty wise, because 9 times out of 10, Boogaard is the player who has had the cooler head and actually is good at drawing the penalty. But as we saw in the Wild's last two games, even he can crack, as his level of discipline has dwindled. Rewind to the Wild's 3-2 SO victory over the Edmonton Oilers this past Sunday. Right before a face-off in the first period, Zack Stortini of the Oilers and Boogaard where jawing back and forth, so fans knew something was about to happen. And sure enough, as soon as the puck was dropped, Boogaard laid into him with a stick across the mid-section. The call from the referee was a slashing penalty and victory to Stortini for holding back. Then last night against the Colorado Avalanche, with the Wild holding onto a 2-1 lead, Boogaard apparently had some unfinished business with the Avs Darcy Tucker. Again, right off of a face-off after a jawing session, Boogaard again displayed his undisciplined side and took down Tucker, drawing a double minor for holding and crosschecking. The Avs subsequently went on to tie the score. Boogaard only averages 4:52 a game and my thought is that will be dropped to zero if he continues this type of play...

Cal, the multi-talented athlete

Our rookie hitting sensation, with a league leading 208 hits, apparently excels in other sports besides hockey. He displayed his soccer slide-tackle-goal scoring, or his baseball slide into the catcher at home plate technique, whichever way you want to see it, last night against the Avs. With the score knotted up a 2, Cal Clutterbuck went after a loose puck that was sitting in the 5-hole of a kneeling Andrew Raycroft, in the Avs crease. Instead of simply diving stick-first to poke the puck in, Clutterbuck decided it would be best to slide skates first into the pads of the goaltender. Yeah, the puck did go in and was initially ruled a goal, but it was subsequently waived off after a short review. The only explanation I can come up with as to why he would slide this way into the goaltender, was that maybe he was having a flash-back to his youth, on either the 'pitch' or the 'diamond'.

FSN extra's

I hope I am not alone on this one...but I really cannot stand a few of the segments that FSN airs during Wild telecasts. The first segment is what I believe they call the 'face-off', between color guy Mike Greenlay and reporter Kevin Gorg. And for those of you who have not seen this before, the two are given a series of NHL and hockey related questions, one at a time, and they have 30 seconds to give their best answers. The viewing audience then selects the winner by text messaging their pick. This has to be the most wasteful use of Wild broadcast time that could be spent on player interviews, game highlights, stat analysis, or pretty much anything else. I almost feel embarrassed for the two of them as they plead for votes from the teen text-happy crowd. The second segment that is almost as useless, comes after the game and involves a couple of former players trying to re-live their past...I'm only kidding about this because former Wild player Darby Hendrickson is usually involved and I believe he is a first-class individual. It's the segment where they go on-ice for a demonstration of a play that occurred during the previously aired game. Give the fans more in the way of maybe wrapping up the nights NHL games with highlights and stats. Or how about a good preview of an upcoming game...anything but Gorg showing us why he, as a player, was the one who was stuck in goal.

'Butch' Is Back...and more...

P-M Bouchard has seemingly found his confidence, something he admitted was lacking earlier in the season. You can see it in his game and see it on the score-sheet as well. The funny thing is however, he really is not that far off of his pace from last season, where he set career marks in points (63) and a franchise mark in assists (50). Last year at this time, he and the fans were enjoying a breakout season where he netted 38 points (8 g, 30 a) after 47 games. And this season he is off that pace a bit, but his 10 goals and 20 assists is only 8 points behind a season ago. The biggest difference to date is the fact that he, as in previous seasons, earns his points in bunches, something that he has not done consistently this year...until recently that is. Since the All-Star break, Bouchard has 9 points in 4 games. And looking back even further to the New Years Eve game against San Jose, he has netted 17 points in 15 games. Not bad for a player who admittedly has struggled. And on a side note...ever notice how durable a player he is? Bouchard is listed as being 5-10, 173 (soaking wet maybe), but for a player of his size, with the way he plays along the boards, he has not missed many games in his career due to an injury. In fact he has missed only 6 games the past 3 seasons plus this season...

Where's The Red, White, & Blue?

This next bit was really grounded before it even took off so I should have scrapped it. However, in case there is a roster change on the horizon, it could still be relevant. With last weeks trade, the Wild pushed their only American born player out the door in Erik Reitz. So I thought, how unusual it was to have an NHL team in the State of Hockey without a red-blooded American on its roster. And after checking, sure enough, the Wild were the only team in the league without a native rostered. The only problem...Reitz's trading partner in the deal with the Rangers, Dan Fritsche, is from Ohio. Oh well, another bit blown...but the effort was there.

No Change In Captain Or Prices...

As I stated here last week, I believe the time is right to do away with the alternating captain system that has been in place since day 1, and finally name a permanent leader. Well unfortunately, the team felt different but made what I believe is a good choice in Andrew Brunette. This being his second stint with the Wild, Brunette will be serving as captain for his fifth time. And on a related note, the team also decided to stand-pat with next seasons ticket prices, for season ticket holders that is. No word on single game seats but if you are one of the lucky ones, your prices will not be on the increase a year from now.

Almost Forgot...

Cal Clutterbuck was a big factor, again, in the teams 3-0 shutout over the Ducks. Not only did he play his usual disciplined game, but managed to draw three Ducks into penalties. And he was rewarded for his play by getting a career-high 19:30 of ice-time, including 3:14 shorthanded. You have to love the way this guy plays...you know that old 'reckless-abandoned' phrase your coach used to utter...Clutterbuck is that phrase.

Real Men Who Wear Cups Don't Block Shots...

That is about as crazy as I see the 'no fighting if you wear a visor' debate. I personally give a lot of credit from the get-go for players who drop the gloves, whether or not they are wearing helmets with visors. I mean, to throw yourself out there with the chance of being humiliated in front of the fans, opponents, and especially your teammates, is in itself a big risk if you ask me. But to criticize players for keeping their lids on makes about as much sense as asking players to remove their cups if they are going to block shots during the game.

Don Cherry, the wacky Hockey Night in Canada commentator has brought this issue into our 'Wild World' when he went after Cal Clutterbuck in his 'Coaches Corner' segment recently. Now I am not going to repeat the short segment...but Cherry was not kind. I guess I have a problem with commentators and reporters who feel the need to make 'themselves' the story, which is what Cherry does with his wackiness. He is entertaining, I'll give him that, but I also take what he says with a grain of salt. The masses, especially in Canada, see him in a different light and that is what is unfortunate when he goes after players, especially rookies from Canada.

Back in 1979, NHL Commissioner John Ziegler announced that helmets would be a mandatory piece of equipment. And from the there, another safety piece was born in the shield, although not mandatory yet. And I would imagine that ever since the addition of these two pieces of equipment, the debate on whether a player should remove his helmet (especially if said visor is attached) before fighting has raged on. Interestingly enough, the AHL makes mandatory the wearing of a shield by all players. And there is currently a debate in the minors on whether or not keeping your helmet ON during a fight should also be mandatory. This has come to a head after the death of Don Sanderson, who played for the Whitby Dunlops (Ontario Hockey Association-AAA), died as a result from an injury sustained after hitting his head on the ice during a fight. And more recently in the AHL, a player began 'convulsing violently on the ice for 30 to 40 seconds' after hitting his head on the ice after a fight. And for the record, both of these players were not wearing helmets at the time their heads banged off the ice. In fact in one of the incidents, the player voluntarily removed his helmet before fighting.

As I said earlier, this debate on helmets, visors, and fighting has gone on for some time, longer than I can remember. And there is in fact a mention of visors and fighting in the NHL rulebook. It basically states that if are assessed an 'instigator' penalty and you had a visor on during the fight, you will be assessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Funny, but I have never heard that one called. However, just as has been the case with the wearing of helmets in the NHL, rules change and the wearing of a visor becoming mandatory may come, as I believe it will and should. What that will do for fighting, I do not know. But it is interesting to me that every NHL player that plays without a visor has done so by making a conscious decision to remove that equipment from their helmet, as it was mandatory in their prior minor league career. As for the player who wears a cup while blocking shots...how do you think Cherry would propose checking for and dealing with that?

Wild Notes...

Our Calder candidate apparently made it into the Wild record book last night when he recorded a record 9 hits in the 6-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. As for it being a Wild record, I'll take Russo's word for it but I cannot find a 'hits' stat in the Team Guide. With his physical game last night, where Cal also recorded the Wild's fist goal, he now leads the NHL with 173 hits. And it seems that the Clutterbuck fascination has reached new internet heights as CalClutterbuck.com is a functional web site. That's right, someone (a Minnesotan, go figure) actually registered a domain name for our favorite rookie. There is nothing to the one page site other than a couple of links, but I thought the idea of having a Clutterbuck site was amusing. Perhaps it would make the perfect place to start the 'Cal For Calder' campaign.

And finally, an interesting (or not) Gaborik draft bit...Krys Kolanos, who was recently put on waivers and reassigned to Houston by the Wild, was taken in the same 2000 NHL Entry Draft as Gabby, at #19 by Phoenix.

Our Calder Memorial Trophy Candidate

There have been roughly 74 winners of the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given 'to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League'. The difference in the number of times the trophy has been awarded really depends on what source you use. According to the National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book (2008 edition), The NHL President, Frank Calder, bought a trophy each year and awarded it to the outstanding rookie in that season. After his death in 1943, the league presented the cup as we know it today, in honor of Calder. It appears that the early records for awarding this trophy began after the 1932-33 season, as Carl Voss is listed as the first recipient according to ESPN.com.

I am not going to pretend that I have seen most of the past winner of the Calder cup play, as most of them were winners long before I was born. In fact, it would not be a stretch to say that I have not even heard of a good chunk of the winners. I actually get lost in the list of winners prior to the Bobby Orr rookie season of 1967 and after that, there are names here and there that I still do not recognize. But the ones I do are or were, for the most part, true super-stars in the NHL. There is a good portion that are or will be a who's who in the Hall.

So now that I have laid the ground work for my working knowledge of the trophy and its winners, or lack there of, I believe that there is a case to be made for awarding the Calder Memorial Trophy to our own Cal Clutterbuck. Of course this is said with the premise that he continues on the path he has laid so far this season. Russo mentioned him in his recent 'The Best Of The First Half', as a potential candidate. Whether or not that was a tongue-and-cheek mention, I do not know. But truth be told, I have been pondering that exact idea for a couple of weeks. In reality does he have a chance? No way. History shows that the top rookie scorer (or one of the top), an outstanding goaltender, or a defenseman who was seen as a good two-way player, will be the winner. But what about the grinders? The guys that bang around and dig in the corners and do, you know, the little stuff we always hear about. Clutterbuck is that guy.

Unfortunately Clutterbuck does not score nearly enough. His 9 points this season puts him in a 4-way tie at 31st in rookie scoring. His -2 puts him way off the pace of the +47 that Minnesota native Blake Wheeler has so far this season. And his average time on the ice does not even put him on the first page as tracked by ESPN.com. So why does he deserve a look?

Once again it's the little things that he does. He knows when to drop the gloves and when not to. He goes in the corners, always. Clutterbuck is the energizer bunny of this team. And not only does he finish his checks, he knows how to hit. His 160 hits not only ranks him atop the rookie list, it puts him 3rd overall in the league. His other note-worthy stats include being in the top half of the rookies in shots on goal (56, tied for 21st) and blocked shots (19, 17th).

For a guy who did not even make the opening day 23-man roster, Cal Clutterbuck has had a real nice rookie season. He makes his presence known every shift that he gets, and gives us that reckless play that is fun to watch. Unfortunately though, he will not get the Calder Memorial Trophy this season. For those of us that do like to think outside of the box however, he makes a great candidate for top rookie.