Bruins' Vatrano, Avalanche's Rantanen share AHL's rookie of the year award
Frank Vatrano of the Providence Bruins (Boston) and Mikko Rantanen of the San Antonio Rampage (Colorado) have been voted co-winners of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding rookie for the 2015-16 season.
Rantanen, 19, was selected 10th overall by the Avalanche in 2015 and leads all AHL rookies in scoring and is tied for sixth overall with 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists). He also recorded at least one point in 42 of his 51 AHL games.
Vatrano, 22, has scored a league-high 34 goals in 34 games and is looking to become the fourth AHL player ever to average a goal a game in a 30-goal season. He added 17 assists and owns 51 total points, good for a league-best 1.50 points per contest.
He signed with the Bruins as an undrafted free agent last summer.
The award is shared as a result of a tie in the voting among AHL coaches, players, and media in each of the league's 30 cities.