Ranking Every NHL Rookie of the Year (1930s)

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7. Carl Voss (1932-33)

The winner of the inaugural Calder Trophy in 1932-33, Voss collected eight goals and 16 assists in a rookie season split between the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers, though the majority of his games occurred with Detroit. Voss ended up bouncing around several different teams throughout his NHL career, with his personal best season coming in the 1934-35 campaign with the St. Louis Eagles as he scored double-digit goals for the only time in his career with 13 along with 18 helpers.

In 1937-38, Voss found himself on the Chicago Black Hawks, who barely made it into the playoffs with a 14-25-9 record. However, the team knocked out the Montreal Canadiens in round one, winning the series in two games to one. Voss didn’t play in the first game, but made it back to the lineup in time to earn a pair of assists. Although Voss had a quiet semifinal series against the New York Americans, the Black Hawks were still able to close out the series in three games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Cup, Voss scored the game-tying goal in the second period of game three, which the Black Hawks went on to win 2-1. He also captured the go-ahead goal in game four, as Chicago claimed the upset to take home their second championship and Voss’ first. This allowed Voss to retire as a Stanley Cup champ, going out on top with 34 goals and 71 assists in 264 career games. Once his playing career was over, Voss became an American Hockey League referee throughout the 1940s, eventually being promoted to the NHL’s referee-in-chief in 1950. Voss held this role for the next 15 seasons, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame’s builder category in 1974.

6. Russ Blinco (1933-34)

Blinco earned the Calder Trophy for 1933-34 with the Montreal Maroons, scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 31 games played. He followed up this success with 13 goals and 14 helpers in 1934-35, guiding the Maroons to another postseason appearance. At the time, the NHL’s playoff format entailed the first two rounds being a two-game series in which the winner was decided by the total number of goals scored between the two games. After playing to a 0-0 draw in game one of the first round against the Chicago Black Hawks, the two teams went scoreless in regulation again in game two. This time, an overtime period was required, and the Maroons’ Baldy Northcott got the lone goal of the series four minutes into OT.

The semifinal round against the New York Rangers featured quite a bit more offense by comparison, with the Maroons taking the series five goals to four. Blinco added a goal and an assist in game two, which ended in a 3-3 tie. The Maroons went on to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Finals, which utilized a more conventional best-of-five format. Blinco assisted on the first goal of the series in game one, which Montreal went on to win in overtime 3-2. He struck again in game two, netting the go-ahead goal in a 3-1 victory. With the series back in the Montreal Forum, Blinco was held off the board but it wasn’t needed as the Maroons picked up a 4-1 win for the second championship in franchise history and the first of Blinco’s career. He remained a reliable presence for the next three seasons, before the Maroons permanently suspended operations after the 1937-38 season. Blinco joined the Black Hawks for 1938-39, but was held to just three goals and retired after the season with 59 goals and 66 assists for 125 points in 265 career games to go along with his Stanley Cup win.

5. Cully Dahlstrom (1937-38)

Dahlstrom picked up the Calder in 1937-38, putting up 10 goals and nine assists for a not very good Chicago Black Hawks squad. Despite having just 14 wins during the regular season, Chicago was still able to hold off the Detroit Red Wings for the final playoff spot. Taking advantage of the playoff format at the time, which required the same-seeded teams in the opposing division to play each other in the first round (rather than the lowest-seeded team playing the highest-seeded team as seen today), the Black Hawks defeated their fellow #3-seed Montreal Canadiens in the first round two games to one.

In the semifinal round against the New York Americans, Dahlstrom only scored once in the three-game set, but made it count as he claimed the only goal of game two. After falling in game one and needing to win to keep the season alive, the Black Hawks were locked in a scoreless goaltending duel which went deep into the second overtime, until Dahlstrom finally got one past fellow rookie Earl Robertson to force a game three. The teams played another close contest, where the Black Hawks came out on top in a 3-2 win. They would face the Canadian Division champ Toronto Maple Leafs in the Finals, but the Black Hawks made a statement in game one with a 3-1 win. Dahlstrom added an assist, but would go scoreless in the next two games as the teams swapped wins, bringing up a game four. With the chance to end the series here and avoid needing to win in Toronto, Dahlstrom scored the opening goal in what would be a 4-1 Black Hawks victory to finish off the incredible upset. In the process, he also became the first Calder winner to also take the Stanley Cup in their rookie season.

Dahlstrom was a solid center for the Black Hawks throughout the first half of the 1940s, consistently getting between 25 and 30 points a season. However, in 1943-44, he exploded for 20 goals and 22 assists, a career high in both categories as the team went on to reach the Stanley Cup Finals once again. Unfortunately for Dahlstrom, Chicago got swept by the Canadiens and he would ultimately retire after the 1944-45 season. With 88 goals and 118 assists for 206 points in 345 career games, Dahlstrom held the title as the highest-scoring Minnesotan in NHL history until being surpassed by longtime Boston Bruin Tommy Williams in 1968.

4. Mike Karakas (1935-36)

Speaking of Minnesota natives, Karakas became the first goaltender to win the Calder in 1935-36, doing so as a member of the Chicago Black Hawks. Playing in all 48 games, Karakas secured 21 wins and a goals against average of 1.85 along with nine shutouts. Although his stats weren’t as strong for the rest of the 1930s, he of course played a major role in Chicago’s miracle Stanley Cup run in 1938. In the opening series versus the Montreal Canadiens, he posted a shutout in game two before outlasting Montreal goalie Wilf Cude in a 3-2 overtime victory to advance into the semifinals against the New York Americans. Like the previous round, Karakas had to bounce back from a game one loss and did so under even more dire circumstances. Receiving no goal support throughout game two, Karakas held the Americans scoreless for 93 grueling minutes of game time before Dahlstrom finished it off in the second overtime. Karakas and company grabbed another 3-2 win to set up their Stanley Cup date against the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, trouble struck before the Finals could even get underway.

After the semifinals, Karakas discovered that he had sustained a broken toe, forcing him to sit out the first two games of the Finals. While Chicago was able to claim game one in his absence, game two did not go as well as they got stomped 5-1. This prompted Karakas to return to the ice, broken toe and all. For the final two games, Karakas was as effective as he had been in the first two rounds, allowing just one goal apiece as Chicago lifted their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

With a Stanley Cup title already under his belt and his career on a promising trajectory, Karakas appeared ready to lead the Black Hawks to another successful decade. However, as soon as the 1940s hit, Karakas’ first tenure with Chicago came to an end. After an underwhelming start to the 1939-40 campaign, he was loaned to the Canadiens for the rest of the season and subsequently traded to the American Hockey League (yes, both of these were something teams could do back then). In 1943-44, though, Karakas unexpectedly returned to the Black Hawks for the second half of the season and played well enough down the stretch to lock up the final playoff spot. The semifinal round against the Detroit Red Wings saw Karakas collect a game three shutout on the way to a five-game series win. Coincidentally, Karakas would face his former team in the Canadiens for the title, but the Black Hawks were no match for the most dominant single-season team in NHL history to that point.

While the run for his second Cup ended in a sweep, Karakas added more noteworthy moments in his final two years in the league. In 1944-45, despite getting just 12 wins and a 3.90 GAA in 48 games, he claimed second-team All-Star honors on the strength of his league-leading four shutouts (tied with that year’s Calder winner Frank McCool). For his swan song 1945-46 season, Karakas set a new career high in wins with 22, though the Black Hawks were swept by Montreal again, this time in the first round. He finished his NHL career with 114 wins, a GAA of 2.91 in 336 games and 28 shutouts to go along with his 1938 championship.

3. Sweeney Schriner (1934-35)

Schriner earned the 1934-35 Calder Trophy with the New York Americans, potting an impressive 18 goals and 22 assists. While the Americans missed the playoffs that season, they were able to make it back the next season due in no small part to Schriner’s contributions, as he led the NHL in points with 19 goals and 26 assists on the year. This also allowed him to take first-team All-Star honors along with being named a finalist for the Hart Trophy, though he would lose to Boston Bruins superstar Eddie Shore in a tight election. The Americans were able to knock off the Chicago Black Hawks in the first round, with Schriner scoring three goals in the two-game set, but fell short of the Stanley Cup Finals as they lost in three games to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the semifinals.

Schriner was back in full force in 1936-37, leading the way in points once again with 21 goals and 25 helpers, though this time around he settled for second-team All-Star. He broke the 20-goal mark again the next season with 21, though his assist total dropped to 17. Schriner rectified this in what would be his final season with New York in 1938-39, setting a career-high 32 assists to go along with 13 goals. After another unsuccessful playoff appearance for the Americans, Schriner was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a six-player deal which also included fellow future Hall of Famer Busher Jackson going the other way.

At first, Schriner didn’t quite live up to the hype, but would eventually prove that the Maple Leafs made a wise investment in 1940-41. He scored a career-high 24 goals to lead the team in that category, earning his second career first-team All-Star in the process. However, Toronto would lose a wild seven-game series to the Bruins in the semifinals. Undaunted, he returned in 1941-42 and put up another 20-goal season, as the Maple Leafs went right back to work in the playoffs. While he was quiet in the opening round against the Rangers, Schriner was a menace in the Finals against the Detroit Red Wings.

Schriner did his part to begin the series, getting a couple of goals early, but the Maple Leafs still fell behind and faced elimination in a 3-0 hole. He added an assist on the tying goal of game four, which Toronto went on to win 4-3, before adding a goal in a 9-3 beatdown which forced Detroit to really start sweating. As goalie Turk Broda earned a shutout, Schriner assisted on both of game six’s third period goals as the Maple Leafs forced an improbable game seven. In the winner-take-all finale, the Red Wings actually went into the final frame with a 1-0 lead, but it was time for Schriner to put the team on his back as he scored twice in the final 20 minutes in a 3-1 championship-clinching win. Along with finishing off the only successful 3-0 series comeback in Stanley Cup Final history, Schriner was finally a Stanley Cup champion and a major part of the Cup run at that.

Unfortunately for Schriner, the next few seasons of his career were significantly shortened due to a knee injury, which included sitting out the 1943-44 season. However, despite playing in just 26 games in 1944-45, Schriner incredibly turned back the clock with 22 goals and 15 assists in the brief time frame. His presence proved valuable in the playoffs, as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory in game one of a Finals rematch versus the Red Wings. The Maple Leafs were able to hold off a furious Detroit charge to win the title again in seven games. Now a two-time champ, Schriner retired from playing after the 1945-46 season with 201 goals and 206 assists for 407 points in 484 career games.

2. Frank Brimsek (1938-39)

Brimsek immediately made a splash in 1938-39 as a member of the Boston Bruins, leading all NHL goalies in wins with 33, shutouts with 10 and a goals against average of 1.56 in 43 games. Of course, the man who went on to be known as “Mr. Zero” easily claimed the Calder Trophy, which was paired with his first career Vezina Trophy and first-team All-Star honors. Thanks in large part to Brimsek’s efforts, the Bruins finished the season with the league’s best record and would take on the New York Rangers in the semifinals. Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series, two of which were won in overtime, before New York rallied with three straight wins of their own to force a game seven.

With the reverse sweep in play, Brimsek and company locked in, giving up just one goal in game which eventually went into triple overtime. In that sixth period, however, fellow Bruins rookie Mel Hill found his way past Rangers netminder Bert Gardiner to stop the comeback in its tracks and send the team onto the Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In this series, though, the Bruins were fully in command, as Brimsek only allowed multiple goals once and even collected a game four shutout as the Bruins hoisted their first Stanley Cup in franchise history after the five-win series win. With Brimsek’s debut season going beyond anyone’s wildest expectations, he was more than prepared to establish himself as the Bruins staple goalie throughout the 1940s.

Brimsek played all 48 games for Boston in the 1939-40 campaign, leading the way in wins for a second time with 31. He would again maintain a sub-two GAA at 1.97 to go along with six shutouts, enabling him to earn second-team All-Star as the Bruins had the best regular season record once again. However, in the semifinals rematch against the Rangers, New York would get their revenge in a six-game victory. Undeterred, the Bruins were back in action for 1940-41, with Brimsek repeating as a second-team All-Star thanks to his 27 wins, 2.01 GAA and league-leading six shutouts. For the fourth year in a row, the Bruins were the best team in the regular season, allowing them to take on the Maple Leafs in the semifinals. This series was not the prettiest for Brimsek, as he allowed five and seven goals in games two and three respectively after a game one shutout. However, he returned to form the rest of the way and the Bruins narrowly escaped in a seven-game victory. In the Finals, Brimsek wasn’t able to grab a shutout this time around, but still did more than enough to help the Bruins to a sweep over the Detroit Red Wings. He never allowed more than two goals in any of the four games on the way to his second Stanley Cup.

In 1941-42, Brimsek was a first-team All-Star once again, winning 24 games while nabbing three shutouts and a 2.35 GAA in 47 contests. This effort also placed him as a finalist in the Hart Trophy voting, as well as granting him his second Vezina title. 1942-43 also saw Brimsek add 24 more wins to his total as he picked up another second-team All-Star nod, but opted to put his NHL career on hold in order to join the United States Coast Guard during World War II. Despite returning to the Bruins midway through the 1945-46 season, he was nonetheless named a second-team All-Star after getting 16 wins, two shutouts and a 3.26 GAA in 34 games. In the playoffs, Brimsek led the team to another Stanley Cup bid, but they would be eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

In 1946-47, Brimsek was back to playing the full schedule, getting the start in all 60 games as he claimed a 2.92 GAA with 26 wins and three shutouts on the way to a fifth second-team All-Star selection. The 1947-48 season would be a rather strange one for Brimsek from an award standpoint, as despite being named as a second-team All-Star, he was the only goaltender to get any votes for the Hart Trophy. If not for New York Rangers forward Buddy O’Connor, he would have won the award outright, proving that Jose Theodore’s 2002 Hart Trophy win despite only being named a second-team All-Star was not without precedent. That anomaly aside, Brimsek’s final All-Star season featured 23 wins, three shutouts and a 2.80 GAA, though his last season as a Bruin in 1948-49 had similar metrics at 26 wins, 2.72 GAA and one shutout. After spending the 1949-50 season with the Chicago Black Hawks, Brimsek ended his outstanding career with 252 wins, 40 shutouts and a total GAA of 2.70 to go along with his pair of Stanley Cups.

1. Syl Apps (1936-37)

Apps earned the Calder Trophy in 1936-37 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, leading the league in assists with 29 while also contributing 16 goals on the year. While the Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, this was only the beginning of Apps’ long battle with the postseason. He repeated as the league’s assist leader in 1937-38, getting 29 helpers while upping his goal total to 21, crossing the 50-point mark for the first time in his career. This effort enabling him to grab second-team All-Star on the way to another postseason appearance. In a three-game sweep of the Boston Bruins, Apps had two assists in the final game and would do the same in the Finals matchup against the Chicago Black Hawks. However, the Black Hawks refused to be denied, winning the title in four games despite their inauspicious regular season record.

Apps was amongst the NHL’s top scorers once again in 1938-39, potting 15 goals and 25 assists to secure first-team All-Star honors and a second-place finish in the Hart Trophy race. The Maple Leafs easily disposed of the New York Americans in the first round, with Apps adding a goal and two assists in a game one victory. Their semifinal series against the Detroit Red Wings required all three games, but Apps registered a total of four assists as Toronto survived to face the Bruins for another chance at his first Cup. However, like most of his teammates, he was unable to solve rookie sensation Frank Brimsek and would score only once as the Maple Leafs fell in five games.

Despite being held to just 27 games in 1939-40, Apps made the most of it with 13 goals and 17 assists. Surprisingly, he nearly won the Hart Trophy this season, but lost to Detroit defenseman Ebbie Goodfellow by a mere six votes. The Maple Leafs were unstoppable to start the 1940 playoffs, sweeping both the Black Hawks and Red Wings on their path to the Stanley Cup Finals. Apps in particular came in clutch in game one against Chicago, scoring both the tying and overtime game-winning goals. However, in spite of Apps’ two goals and two assists in the Finals, they were defeated by the New York Rangers in six games.

For 1940-41, Apps had another strong regular season, getting 20 goals and 24 assists to again finish as a Hart finalist and second-team All-Star. However, just like the previous seasons, Toronto was unable to get over the hump in the playoffs, losing to the Bruins in the semifinals. At this point, Apps was on his fifth playoff appearance and third Stanley Cup Final appearance, but was forced to leave empty-handed on each occasion. However, the 1941-42 campaign was another opportunity for redemption, starting with a regular season which saw Apps score 18 goals and 23 helpers for his second career first-team All-Star award. He came out firing in game one of the semifinals against the Rangers, getting a goal and two assists in Toronto’s 3-1 win. The Maple Leafs won the series in six games, setting up a Finals meeting with Detroit. The opening matchups looked to be more of the same for the Leafs, with Detroit taking a 3-0 series lead. It was also another postseason disappointment for Apps, who was held scoreless throughout the first three matchups. With his team down 3-2 in the third period of game four, however, Apps turned it around big time. He scored the tying goal, before getting a crucial assist on the eventual game-winning goal to keep hope alive for the Maple Leafs.

Game five proved to be a major turning point in the momentum of the series, as Toronto celebrated a 9-3 rout to cut the Red Wings’ lead to just one game. Apps was a massive architect of the blowout, claiming a pair of goals and three assists. While he didn’t score the rest of the series, the wheels were already set in motion for the eventual comeback. Toronto took the reverse sweep in seven games, ending the years of heartbreak for Apps with his first Stanley Cup title. With the narrative of postseason struggles behind him, Apps was on pace for another spectacular season in 1942-43. However, like many other players around this time, Apps took leave from the NHL in order to serve in World War II for the Canadian Army. Even with his truncated 29-game season, Apps was a Hart finalist for a fifth time and a second-team All-Star thanks to his 23 goals and 17 assists.

Apps was back in the Maple Leafs lineup in 1945-46, and returned to full-time play for 1946-47. It was as if he never left, nabbing 25 goals and 24 assists as the Maple Leafs were poised for another deep playoff run. After losing game two of the semifinals to the Red Wings 9-1, Apps responded with a total of four goals to finish out the series, which ended in a five-game Maple Leafs win. In the Finals against Montreal, Apps potted the critical winning overtime goal of game four, giving Toronto a 3-1 series lead that they would not relinquish. Toronto had their third Stanley Cup in six years, with Apps taking home his second championship. Now 33 years of age, Apps considered retiring after the 1947 Cup win, but ultimately decided to play in 1947-48. This proved to be a great decision, as he set new career highs of 26 goals and 53 points as the Maple Leafs captured the top regular season record. After taking down the Bruins in the semifinals in five games (with Apps adding a goal and an assist in game one), the Maple Leafs were on in another Finals rematch with the Red Wings. Unlike the previous two series, where each was decided in seven games, Toronto took control and never looked back. In the four-game sweep, Apps was a force, getting two goals and two assists to close out his NHL career with a third Stanley Cup. Though he never got the Hart Trophy, Apps still scored 201 goals and 231 assists for 432 points in 423 career games.

With the narrative of postseason struggles behind him, Apps was on pace for another spectacular season in 1942-43. However, like many other players around this time, Apps took leave from the NHL in order to serve in World War II for the Canadian Army. Even with his truncated 29-game season, Apps was a Hart finalist for a fifth time and a second-team All-Star thanks to his 23 goals and 17 assists. Apps was back in the Maple Leafs lineup in 1945-46, and returned to full-time play for 1946-47. It was as if he never left, nabbing 25 goals and 24 assists as the Maple Leafs were poised for another deep playoff run. After losing game two of the semifinals to the Red Wings 9-1, Apps responded with a total of four goals to finish out the series, which ended in a five-game Maple Leafs win. In the Finals against Montreal, Apps potted the critical winning overtime goal of game four, giving Toronto a 3-1 series lead that they would not relinquish. Toronto had their third Stanley Cup in six years, with Apps taking home his second championship.

Now 33 years of age, Apps considered retiring after the 1947 Cup win, but ultimately decided to play in 1947-48. This proved to be a great decision, as he set new career highs of 26 goals and 53 points as the Maple Leafs captured the top regular season record. After taking down the Bruins in the semifinals in five games (with Apps adding a goal and an assist in game one), the Maple Leafs were on in another Finals rematch with the Red Wings. Unlike the previous two series, where each was decided in seven games, Toronto took control and never looked back. In the four-game sweep, Apps was a force, getting two goals and two assists to close out his NHL career with a third Stanley Cup. Though he wasn't quite able to get the Hart Trophy, Apps still impressed with 201 goals and 231 assists for 432 points in 423 career games.