The LA Kings played several rookies in the lineup this season, but which one was the best?
Awards week here at Rink Royalty rolls on, and this time we decide who the best rookie was for the LA Kings this season. The Los Angeles media recently awarded Mikey Anderson the Mark Bavis Memorial Award for Best Newcomer. No doubt Anderson is certainly deserving of the award, but will he win our best rookie award? To clarify, here are the official criteria that define what a rookie is per the NHL:
"To be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered to be a rookie."
With these criteria in mind, someone like Andreas Athanasiou would qualify as a “newcomer,” but certainly not a rookie. For the context of this article, we will be sticking with the players on the Kings who qualify as rookies under the NHL’s definition of the term. So without further ado, here are our nominees for the LA Kings’ best rookie.