Pair of Former Frontenacs Nominated for NHL Awards
June 17, 2021 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kingston Frontenacs News Release
Over 1,500 hockey players in the world have put pen to paper on a current NHL contract. For all of those athletes hitting the ice day in and day out, the end goal is the Stanley Cup; however, individual trophies can be in the cards for the best of the best.
Of 1,500+ players, only 15 earn nominations towards the National Hockey League's season-ending honours. In 2021, two members of the highly-regarded groups once wore Kingston's black and gold sweaters.
Goaltender Philipp Grubauer is up for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best goaltender; meanwhile, forward Jason Robertson is a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, honouring the league's best rookie.
For the Vezina, the former Fronteancs netminder is nominated alongside former Cape Breton Screaming Eagle Marc-Andre Fleury and Russian standout Andrei Vasilevsky. Meanwhile, Robertson shares Calder nomination honours with Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov and OHL alumnus Alex Nedeljkovic.
Grubauer, now 29-years-old, played 38 games with the Frontenacs in 2010-11, finishing with a .903 save percentage in the OHL. The Frontenacs made the playoffs that season but fell to the Oshawa Generals in five games in the first round. While the German-born netminder's time in Kingston was brief, he etched his name into the select group of Frontenacs to represent their country internationally. During that 2010-22 season, Grubauer played for the German U20s at the World Juniors and other international tournaments.
Some of Grubauer's fellow Frontenacs that year included Ryan Spooner, who played for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers, and Ottawa Senators and defenceman Erik Gudbranson, who briefly crossed paths with Spooner in Vancouver.
Backstopping the offensive juggernaut Colorado Avalanche in 2021, Grubauer finished the season with a .922 save percentage while helping the Avalanche to a 39 win regular season and the best regular-season record. Unfortunately for the former Frontenac, he and his Colorado teammates were bumped from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the second round, falling in six games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
For Jason Robertson, the 2021 season has been a year to remember. Building on his first pro season in 2019-20, Robertson burst onto the NHL scene this year, joining the 2020 Stanley Cup finalists in their search to get back to the final. While the Dallas Stars were unable to find their way to another playoff run, Robertson's regular season was among the league's best for players his age.
The former assistant captain of the Frontenacs, Robertson scored 17 goals for 45 regular-season points in Dallas, bringing the Stars within two games of the post-season. His stunning campaign earned him a callup to the USA Hockey national team for the IIHF Men's World Championships, where he won a bronze medal for his country.
For the two former Frontenacs, they will have to wait until the Stanley Cup Final to find out if they have won their respective awards, but just making it to the final three in each category is a feat seldom accomplished. The Kingston Frontenacs congratulate both Jason and Philipp on their nominations!
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Ontario Hockey League Stories from June 17, 2021
- Pair of Former Frontenacs Nominated for NHL Awards - Kingston Frontenacs
- Canadian Hockey League Announces Order of Selections for 2021 CHL Import Draft - OHL
- Generals Parting Ways with Head Coach Greg Walters - Oshawa Generals
- Second Round Pick Charlie Paquette Commits to Storm - Guelph Storm
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