Connor Bedard is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s best rookie — as expected pretty much the moment he was chosen by the Chicago Blackhawks with the first pick in last June’s entry draft.

But Brock Faber has made it a two-man race.

The former Gophers star who was last year’s Big Ten defensive player of the year has been nothing short of a revelation in his first full NHL season, becoming not just a stout, reliable presence on the blue line but a burgeoning leader in the dressing room.

In a poll of nhl.com writers, Bedard, the NHL’s rookie leader with 21 goals and 56 points, received 66 points. Faber was second with 56, and Wild center Marco Rossi was fifth with 19.

With 11 games remaining, Faber already has the second-most points by a rookie in franchise history, 40 through 71 games heading into Thursday night’s game against San Jose at Xcel Energy Center. His 40 points are tied with New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes for second behind Bedard’s 56, and his 33 assists are second only to Bedard’s 35.

Faber, 21, is currently the only challenger according to oddsmakers MGM Sportsbook, FanDuel and DraftKings. Asked Wednesday if he is paying attention, he answered quickly and unequivocally.

“No, not at all,” he said. “I don’t like to read into those things and, frankly, would much rather make the playoffs.”

The Wild still have a chance to earn a Western Conference wild card playoff spot, but the odds are against them. They’ll start Thursday’s game nine points out of that spot with 11 regular-season games left, and since the NHL moved to an 80-game schedule in 1974-75 (it’s now 82 games), no team has ever made the postseason after being more than seven points out through 70 games.

And that happened just once.

Still, Faber’s season has been a highlight for the Wild, and a bright harbinger for the team’s future. Whether he wins the Calder or not, the big blue liner appears to have a bright future.

“I’ve heard the talk, obviously,” Faber said. “I don’t really know what goes out on Twitter about it, but I try to stay away from that. Obviously, I have the utmost respect for every other rookie in the league. But I really try not to focus on that.”

Teammate Marco Rossi is part of a small group behind Bedard and Faber, alongside Hughes and Calgary winger Connor Zary, receiving Calder consideration. With two goals in his last game, Rossi reached the 20-goal mark and passed Marian Gaborik for second on the Wild’s rookie list. Only Bedard (21) has more rookie goals this season.

Rossi and Faber also have a chance to pass Jordan Greenway (81) and become the first Wild rookies to play a full 82-game season. Asked if that would mean something to him, Faber was, again, quick and unequivocal.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I take pride in staying healthy and taking care of my body, even though that doesn’t always make the difference, right? Sometimes injuries just happen. But, yeah, that would be really cool, for sure.”

They’re back …

Center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin are set to return from lower-body injuries Thursday night, good news for the team but bad news for a couple of players who will be squeezed out of the lineup.

Eriksson Ek, out since March 12, will retake his spot on the top line, and another forward to the press box. After Thursday’s morning skate, coach John Hynes said the team was waiting to hear about “another questionable forward from an injury perspective.”

In any case, rookie Marat Khusnutdinov was expected to play against the Sharks.

Briefly

Filip Gustavsson will start in net against San Jose, Hynes said.

Spirit goes a long way in “The Beautiful Game.”

Releasing this week on Netflix, the sports comedy-drama shines a light on the Homeless World Cup, an annual event in which, yes, homeless male and female footballers — soccer players to us — play for their countries in matches of four-on-four “street” soccer, which is played on a smaller field, er, pitch.

Made with the support of the event’s namesake organization and said to be inspired by true stories, “The Beautiful Game” focuses mainly on fellas comprising the English club and their coach, a former professional star player.

The direction by the suddenly busy Thea Sharrock — her film “Wicked Little Letters” debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and lands in Northeast Ohio theaters next week — and screenplay by Frank Cottrell-Boyce leave a lot to be desired.

The film has the flow of a match where neither team manages more than a few scoring opportunities, but it does eke out a win.

The ever-enjoyable Bill Nighy (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Living”) stars as the aforementioned player-turned-coach, Mal, who also spent time as a scout for a pro club. When we meet him, he is hunting for big game — former pro Vinny (Micheal Ward), who has been living out of his car for a stretch as he’s struggled to find steady work.

Micheal Ward portrays a former pro footballer who has fallen on tough times in “The Beautiful Game.” (Courtesy of Netflix)

Mal explains to Vinny that he’s been involved with the Homeless World Cup for years and that he’s set to take his 12th team to the tournament, which this year is in Rome.

“You ever won it?” Vinny asks.

“It’s not about winning,” Mal says.

“You’re desperate to win it.”

“Well, I wouldn’t object.”

Mal tells him that every player at the tournament has a story to tell — “heartbreaking, unexpected, thrilling stories” — and seems to want Vinny to take part in the Homeless World Cup for reasons that go beyond the fact he clearly would be the team’s best player.

Vinny is the prideful type and initially rebuffs Mal, but perhaps eager to impress the young daughter he visits at a playground who’s being raised by his ex, he agrees to go.

With the possible exception of the team’s existing striker, Cal (Kit Young), the players warmly welcome Vinny into their supportive dynamic, but he chooses to keep his distance, even once they’re all in Rome and competing. He does provide some much-needed scoring punch, unabashedly installing a “pass it to me” core team strategy.

It isn’t the fault of Ward (“Empire of Light,” “The Old Guard”) that it’s so hard to warm to Vinny, as Sharrock, whose credits also include the controversial 2016 tearjerker “Me Before You,” and Cottrell-Boyce, perhaps best known for TV writing, fly too close to the sun with his character arc. Vinny simply is too hard to like for too long.

As a result, we wish “The Beautiful Game” gave us more time with Nighy’s Mal, who habitually talks to his beloved late wife. Still, there seems to be a little chemistry between him and Gabriella (Valeria Golino of “Rain Man” fame), who helps run the event and talks a little trash on behalf of her host Italian squad. it feels like a missed opportunity not to make more out of, um, “Mal-riella,” if we may be so bold, than the movie does.

“The Beautiful Game” includes mini-subplots involving the English players, the closest to impactful of which involves Nathan (Callum Scott Howells), a recovering heroin addict who tries hard to connect with his cold roommate, Vinny.

A recovering heroin addict, Callum Scott Howells’ Nathan struggles in “The Beautiful Game.” (Courtesy of Netflix)

The movie also devotes some attention to two other teams: South Africa, expected to be the dominant squad in England’s group before running into travel trouble; and Japan, competing for the first time. Thanks to the performance of Susan Wokoma as the infectiously enthusiastic nun coaching the South African team, the former element adds a little something to the proceedings. (The latter adds very little.)

Lastly, we spend a little time with Rosita (Cristina Rodlo), a hugely talented player for the U.S. who catches the eye of British player Jason (Sheyi Cole), who doesn’t make the best of first impressions. After getting past that, they spend a bit of time together, with Rosita explaining why the Homeless World Cup — and soccer in general — could mean so much to her future.

Cristina Rodlo’s Rosita, left, and Sheyi Cole’s Jason go for a run in a scene from “The Beautiful Game.” (Courtesy of Netflix)

Thinking “Ted Lasso” crossed with “Next Goal Wins” gets you in the ballpark as to what “The Beautiful Game” has to offer, although it’s not as strong as either the Apple TV+ hit or the 2023 film from writer-director Taika Waititi, respectively.

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Despite all its fumbling about, “The Beautiful Game” succeeds as a celebration of the Homeless World Cup, championing not only what the experience means for those who participate in it but also its power to inspire others around the world.

According to the film’s production notes, the event has taken place 18 times since its inaugural 2003 event in Graz, Austria. After three years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Homeless World Cup took place last year in Sacramento, California, with this year’s set for Seoul, South Korea, in September.

A number of non-speaking roles in the film are played by those who have competed in the affair, lending that little bit of authenticity to “The Beautiful Game.”

In the end, what Mal says about the Homeless World Cup may be true, that it’s not about winning. Instead, it would seem to be about lifting the spirit, as the movie inspired by it does.

‘The Beautiful Game’

Where: Netflix

When: March 29

Rated: PG-13 for some language, a suggestive reference, brief partial nudity and drug references

Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Stars (of four): 2.5

The topic of aging seems to be everywhere and relevant to almost every aspect of life. That was not the case in the mid-1970s when I started in the field.

Being a newcomer at the time, I decided to get a sense of what was considered newsworthy and important by tracking age-related happenings in the print media. I clipped articles from four daily newspapers and occasional periodicals, cut and pasted them (literally) on a sheet of paper, noted the source and date, punched three holes in the single sheet of paper and inserted the sheet into a three-ring binder. (Yes, this is history.) In addition to reading research studies and reports, I felt this was one way to be informed about what was happening “on the ground.” 

In year one, I barely filled one binder. As time passed, I was filling three to four binders a year. Enter the Internet. Cut and past became digital. Today, there is not a day that goes by in print or digital news that does not have several age-related stories. These stories cover public policy, health, longevity, nutrition, ageism, life extension, scientific discoveries, anti-aging, senior housing, products, services and more. 

With more people living longer and with greater needs and opportunities, the explosion of age-related information will only grow. 

Here is a snapshot of 5 areas of aging that are filling print and digital media, podcasts, webinars and reports that are commanding our attention. Note this is a bird’s eye overview from just one person’s perspective and is not based on formal analytics.  

Products: Let’s just focus on a few assistive technology products that help older adults age in their own residence as safely and independently as possible. Smart stoves and ovens can be set to turn off after five minutes of inactivity. Smart pill organizers dispense pills, others use lights to signal which pills to take (Carroself) and how many (Elliegrid). Activity-based sensors can detect if someone is not getting out of bed, opening the refrigerator door or medicine cabinet. (Sensors). 

Management practices: There are now five generations in the workforce, a first in modern history. According to Forbes magazine, a multigenerational workforce is a competitive advantage for several reasons. It is reported to increase productivity, support innovation and drive creative solutions. It provides learning/mentoring opportunities, enhances knowledge transfer and retention and contributes to job satisfaction according to the Academy to Innovate HR.

Appearances: More older notables are proud of their untouched appearances, essentially meaning no cosmetic surgery. “My mother was a great beauty and never succumbed to plastic surgery. She thought it was best to grow old gracefully. I feel the same,” Sigourney Weaver said in an interview last year with El País. For many, retaining one’s natural gray hair is one indicator of aging naturally.

Retirement planning: This popular subject can be foreboding. AARP reports that nearly half of those age 55 and older have no retirement savings. And nearly half (46 percent) of American households have no retirement savings in retirement accounts. Four in 10 workers are projected to fall short of what they need in retirement. 

Where to live: There currently are over 30,000 assisted living communities in the U.S. The need will continue to grow as 70 percent of older adults are predicted to need some kind of care in their lifetime. That care comes with a price tag of just over $57,000 median annual cost in 2023. https://www.seniorliving.org/companies/statistics/ This industry brings in just over $94 billion in revenue. 

Here’s an added fact. The magazine published by AARP (which was previously called “Modern Maturity”) reaches just over 38 million readers, making it the magazine with the largest circulation in the U.S.  

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The broad field of aging continues to attract entrepreneurs, students, businesspeople, policymakers, researchers, scientists and more. As the population ages, the stakeholders will only continue to grow with most looking for ways to age well with a sense of stability, health and possibilities. 

Stay well everyone and know every act of kindness counts. 

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity