December is a month for reflection. It’s the end of the year; it’s the time to review the year that was, often with lists, because who doesn’t like lists? And the sporting world certainly isn’t immune to this.
One such list Sports on Earth has cooked up is the Top 10 Newcomers of 2015, and the Chicago Blackhawks‘ very own Artemi Panarin has clocked in at number nine.
Panarin obviously isn’t new to sports – he’s been playing professionally in Russia for years. But this so happens to be his first season with the North American landscape watching him. Thus, he fits Sports on Earth’s definition for a newcomer:
These are people who emerged in 2015 as people we weren’t talking about on Jan. 1, 2015 … but won’t be able to shut up about after Jan. 1, 2016.
Panarin is certainly one of those guys. With 29 points over 32 games, he’s taken Chicago by storm. He’s second in team scoring. He’s first out of all rookies, and the current favorite for the Calder. And, well, he simply dazzles pretty much every time he’s on the ice.
It’s only been three months or so, but Panarin has definitely cemented his place in the western side of the world’s sports lore for 2015.