Thursday, November 17, 2011

Frank Calder (November 17, 1877 - February 4, 1943) was an ice hockey executive, a journalist and athlete. He is most notable for serving as the first president of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1917 until his death in 1943. He was the last president of the NHL's predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and was instrumental in the transition from the NHA to the NHL, a transition made to expel a franchise owner. He presided over the expansion of the NHL from Canada into the United States while at the same time fending off of rivals to the NHL's status as the premier ice hockey league.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947 as a builder. Two trophies in professional hockey are named for him -- the NHL Calder Memorial Trophy for NHL rookies and the Calder Cup for the American Hockey League (AHL) championship. He originated the rookie of the year award, and the NHL decided to continue awarding it after Calder died, renaming it from the Calder Trophy to the Calder Memorial Trophy.

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