The National Hockey League announced this evening that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is the recipient of the 2019-20 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.

Makar received 1,538 voting points, including 116 first-place votes, beating Vancouver defender Quinn Hughes (1,337 points) and Chicago forward Dominik Kubalik (554 points). The Calder Trophy, which dates back to 1933, is awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.” The winner is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers Association in a poll at the end of the regular-season schedule.

Makar is the first defenseman in Avalanche/Nordiques history to win the Calder Trophy.