Matty Beniers named Calder Trophy winner in dominating fashion
By Charles Hamaker
Nashville, TN – In an announcement that many figured was all but decided, Seattle Kraken rookie centerman Matty Beniers has been named as the Calder Trophy winner, for the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL. Beating out Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (a former University of Michigan teammate), Beniers earns the first trophy of his young career that has the potential to stack numerous awards. With a hockey IQ that teammates said was beyond his years, strong defensive play, and the ability to stay out of the penalty box, Beniers seems primed to be a force in the NHL for years to come. If he adds some muscle this offseason like he said he would, to give himself more of a physical edge? Good luck dealing with the Matty B and the Kraken’s next wave.
Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers during the late stretch of the season and during the first round matchup for the Kraken against the Avalanche (Photos by Liv Lyons)
Easy decision
Despite the strong years in their respective seasons from Buffalo’s Owen Power and Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner, neither of them can truly compare to the sort of impact that Matty Beniers had for Seattle over the course of the entire season. While Skinner got hot for the Oilers towards the end of the year, his whole season wasn’t as strong as Beniers’. Power had a solid season for a young and fun Sabres squad, but once again, it doesn’t beat the sort of impact and value that Beniers brought to the Kraken during their incredible 2022-23 season. Amongst a team that was known for their depth in all facets, being able to win with different names having different impacts night in and night out, Beniers held his own and was a key factor in that. When Beniers missed action due to a head injury caused by Vancouver’s Tyler Meyers, the impact was felt.
Now, it is difficult to compare these three players seasons. Having a goalie, defenseman, and forward stacked up against each other doesn’t make it easy to look at statistics and compare side by side. Again, as I said a few times, what it ultimately comes down to with Beniers being the “easy” decision is value and impact. While mentioning Skinner’s hot streak around the end of the season and Power playing crucial minutes for the Sabres, Beniers’ 80 games played and 57 points which ranked fourth on his team is too much value that compete with for the other two. Again, not saying that what Stuart Skinner and Owen Power did wasn’t critical to their respective teams, it just simply doesn’t stack up to what Beniers did for Seattle. With 160 of the 196 first place votes going to Beniers, it was obvious that the voters agreed.
Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers wearing the teams reverse retro jersey throughout the year (Photos by Liv Lyons)
A key contributor from day one
From the moment that Seattle brought Beniers up after his college career ended, the centerman has been a contributor on and off the stat sheet for the Kraken. Tallying nine points in ten games was more than enough to excite the Seattle fans after a “disappointing” season for the Kraken in their inaugural year, instilling hope for year two and the overall future of this franchise. Year two for the franchise, and for Beniers, exceeded expectations and Matty was a key player in that. Starring as the team's top center and not looking out of place on the line with veterans Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle gave us a glimpse of the sort of player is and the mind that he possesses for the game already at age 20.
Given the multiple factors of his hockey IQ, likelihood to add muscle this offseason, defensive play, and smarts to stay out of the box, all signs point upwards when it comes to Beniers continuing to improve as a player. The first draft pick in the franchise's history, linemate Jared McCann once said that Beniers can be “too-cerebral” of a player sometimes and that just playing his game will translate to success. That it did, whether it was scoring an overtime winner against the Capitals, showing defensive strength even if his offense wasn’t booming, or never looking lost on the ice despite being in his rookie year. For Beniers, the future is bright for not only his personal career, but the Kraken franchise as well.