Canucks rookie Quinn Hughes could win the Calder Trophy today

Today’s the day.

After a season of comparing and contrasting (not to mention analyzing and arguing), we will finally find out who the NHL’s Rookie of the Year is today.

With all due respect to Chicago’s Dominik Kubalik, this year’s Calder Trophy race is a two-horse race between a pair of defencemen — Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar. Whichever one of them wins will become just the fifth defenceman in the last 30 years to win the award.

While some NHL awards have already been handed out, five remaining trophies will be presented today at 3:30 pm PT on Sportsnet. Other awards to be revealed today include the Hart Trophy, Norris Trophy, Vezina Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award.

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This is the third time in as many years that the Canucks have had a player nominated for the Calder. Brock Boeser finished as a runner-up to Mathew Barzal in 2018, while Elias Pettersson took home the hardware last year.

Hughes is considered a slight underdog in this race against Makar, despite winning the rookie scoring title with 53 points in 68 games — three points more than Makar but in 11 more games.

Makar got most of the early-season hype for the award, but Hughes changed the conversation as the year went on. Hughes truthers will point to the fact that he played more difficult minutes than Makar, often seeing the top players on the opposing team in a matchup role. Makar backers will point to his superior points per game average.

Should Hughes win, he would become just the third Canucks player ever to win the award, joining Pettersson and Pavel Bure.

The made-for-television event will be held in Edmonton, where the Stanley Cup Final is currently being held, co-hosted by Sportsnet’s Scott Oake and NBC’s Kenny Albert. The winners of the remaining five awards will be presented entirely by former Oilers greats, with Wayne Gretzky revealing the Calder.

Gretzky will also reveal the Hart Trophy, with Mark Messier (Lindsay), Grant Fuhr (Vezina), and Paul Coffey (Norris) presenting the other awards.

NHL Awards to be revealed tonight

Calder Memorial Trophy

• Quinn Hughes (VAN)
• Dominik Kubalik (CHI)
• Cale Makar (COL)

Hart Memorial Trophy

• Leon Draisaitl (EDM)
• Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
• Artemi Panarin (NYR)

James Norris Memorial Trophy

• John Carlson (WSH)
• Victor Hedman (TBL)
• Roman Josi (NSH)

Ted Lindsay Award

• Leon Draisaitl (EDM)
• Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
• Artemi Panarin (NYR)

Vezina Trophy

• Connor Hellebuyck (WPG)
• Tuukka Rask (BOS)
• Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)

Winners already announced

• Art Ross Trophy: Leon Draisaitl (EDM)
• Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: Bobby Ryan (OTT)
• Frank J. Selke Trophy: Sean Couturier (PHI)
• Jack Adams Award: Bruce Cassidy (BOS)
• Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award: Lou Lamoriello (NYI)
• King Clancy Memorial Trophy: Matt Dumba (MIN)
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
• Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award: Mark Giordano (CGY)
• Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy: Alex Ovechkin (WSH), David Pastrnak (BOS)
• William M. Jennings Trophy: Tuukka Rask, Jaroslav Halak (BOS)
• Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award: Dampy Brar (Apna Hockey)