"Besides possessing the knack to play well with sticks, Steve Mason and Jack Nicklaus would not seem to have much in common. But by winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie last night, Mason joins the Golden Bear in select company.

The Blue Jackets goaltender becomes one of only a handful of professional athletes with strong Columbus ties to receive a substantial honor for a single-season performance.

By winning the Calder, which is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, Mason not only brings the Blue Jackets out of the background for a day, but it places a more lasting historical stamp on the 21-year-old Canadian.

He joins a list of Columbus-connected professionals, including Nicklaus, Jerry Lucas, Eddie George, John Brockington, Randy Gradishar, Frank Howard and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who were honored through a vote of their peers or media members, making them subjective awards -- thus in some ways more meaningful to the recipients.

Nicklaus was honored five times as PGA Tour player of the year, before the award was determined on a points system, and also was the 1978 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

Lucas was the 1964 NBA rookie of the year and the 1961 SI Sportsman of the Year as an Ohio State senior. George, Brockington and Gradishar, all OSU graduates, were the 1996 NFL offensive rookie of the year, 1971 NFL offensive rookie of the year and 1978 defensive player of the year, respectively. Howard, another former Buckeye, was 1960 National League rookie of the year.

Schelotto, a Crew midfielder, was Major League Soccer's MVP last season. And this is hardly an inclusive list.

Where does Mason stand in this group? Pretty high, considering he actually plays for a Columbus-based team and did not just grow up here or go to school at Ohio State."