"John spoke highly of you": Johnny Gaudreau's mom pens heartfelt reaction to Dustin Wolf's Calder Trophy nomination

Calgary Flames' standout netminder Dustin Wolf has been named a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the annual award is given to the top rookie in the NHL.

He received an endearing congratulatory message from a special person. Jane Gaudreau, mother of late Flames winger, Johnny Gaudreau, penned a heartfelt message on social media for the 24-year-old.

“Congratulations, @dwolf2332! This is such a well-deserved honor, and we couldn’t be happier for you. We still remember how highly John spoke of you when you joined the @NHLFlames organization. He would be so proud of you. 🔥❤️💛” Jane Gaudreau, posted on X (formerly Twitter).

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Wolf is one of three finalists for the Calder Trophy, along with the San Jose Sharks' 2024 first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini and Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, who led all rookies with 66 points (six goals, 60 assists) in 82 games.

2019 NHL Draft - Portraits - Source: Getty

A native of Gilroy, Ca., Wolf was drafted in the seventh round by the Flames in 2019. He started 53 games for the Flames in 2024-25 and racked up 29 wins while garnering a .910 save percentage. He paced all rookies in wins and ranked 11th among all qualified goaltenders in the league, while collecting 30 or more saves in 15 games.

Columbus Blue Jackets. “Johnny Hockey” skated in 602 games with the Flames and recorded 609 points (210 goals, 399 assists) with the club. His 399 assists are the fifth-most in franchise history.

Dustin Wolf, Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson Named as Calder Trophy Finalists

With the 2024-25 NHL regular season in the books, the league announced the finalists for the Calder Trophy on Monday. The three finalists are goaltender Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini, and defenseman of the Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutson.

Dustin Wolf earned 29 wins through 53 starts with the Flames in 2024-25. He previously earned the AHL’s Les Cunningham Award as the league’s most valuable player during his 2022-23 season with the Calgary Wranglers. The 24-year-old netminder posted three shutouts over the season with the Flames, along with a trio of assists.

NHL: Vegas Golden Knights at Calgary Flames - Source: Imagn

Celebrini was drafted with the first-overall pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2024, and the 6-foot forward delivered in his first-year campaign. He recorded 63 points through 73 games, pacing all skaters on the Sharks. The Vancouver native scored his first NHL hat trick in the Sharks’ 8-7 loss to the host Wild on April 9.

NHL: San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks - Source: Imagn

Hutson was drafted in the second round by Montreal in 2022. The Michigan native skated in all 82 games over the 2024-25 season, while dishing out a whopping 60 assists.

He passed Chris Chelios (54 assists,1984-85) for the most assists by a rookie defenseman in a single season in Canadiens franchise history. The winner of the award will be announced in June.

About the author

Sharisse Cohee is an NHL and PWHL journalist at Sportskeeda with an associate degree in Media Communications with an emphasis in Cross-Media Journalism. While earning the degree, Sharisse was the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and also became the school's resident sports reporter.

Sharisse earned a bachelor's degree in English from Arizona State University's online campus, graduating with magna cum laude honors. Both degrees influenced her career as an NHL and PWHL writer, allowing Sharisse to weave together her passions for writing and sports.

Sharisse was a sports copywriter/editor at The Upper Deck, a trading card company in Southern California, for two and a half years. She wrote creative and informative copy about hockey players and athletes from various sports, printed on the backs of the trading cards.

Her favorite teams are the Anaheim Ducks, because she was born and raised in Southern California, and also the Pittsburgh Penguins because Sidney Crosby is her all-time favorite NHL player.

When not writing about hockey, Sharisse loves fantasy sports. She plays in hockey, basketball and football fantasy leagues. She lives in San Diego, California, so has the luxury of going to the beach often. She also enjoys working out and watching true crime documentaries, game shows, and binge-worthy TV series.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash