SAN JOSE, CA - The San Jose Sharks ( @SanJoseSharks ) announced today that defenseman Joakim Ryan ( @JoakimRyan ) has been selected as this year's "Sharks Rookie of the Year" in a vote by Bay Area media. Ryan will be recognized in a video presentation during tonight's game against the Minnesota Wild at SAP Center at San Jose ( @SAPCenter ).

Ryan has registered 12 points (three goals, nine assists) and a team-high plus-13 rating in 62 games this season. He leads Sharks rookies in games played, assists, points, and his 98 blocked shots are the most by a Sharks rookie since Marc-Edouard Vlasic in 2006-07. Ryan currently ranks in the top-10 in goals, shots (79), takeaways (14) and plus/minus among NHL rookie defensemen, and leads the league amongst rookies in blocked shots per game (1.6 - minimum 20 games played).

The 24-year-old made his NHL debut on Oct. 12 vs. Buffalo, logging 21:24 minutes of ice time. He recorded his first career NHL point with an assist on Nov. 1 vs. Nashville. In that same game, he registered nine blocked shots, setting a franchise record as well as a NHL rookie record for most blocked shots in a single game.

Ryan is the first rookie in franchise history to lead the team in plus/minus (minimum of 10 games played). In addition, he became the first player, drafted in the seventh round, in franchise history to play more than 60 games in his rookie season.

The five-foot-eleven, 185-pound native of Rumson, NJ was drafted by the Sharks in the seventh round (198th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD:

2016-17 Kevin Labanc

2015-16 Joonas Donskoi

2014-15 Melker Karlsson

2013-14 Matt Nieto & Tomas Hertl

2012-13 Matt Irwin

2011-12 Andrew Desjardins

2010-11 Logan Couture

2009-10 Jason Demers

2008-09 Tomas Plihal

2007-08 Torrey Mitchell

2006-07 Marc-Edouard Vlasic

2005-06 Milan Michalek

2003-04 Tom Preissing

2002-03 Jim Fahey

2001-02 Matt Bradley

2000-01 Evgeni Nabokov

1999-00 Brad Stuart

1998-99 Alexander Korolyuk

1997-98 Patrick Marleau, Marco Sturm, Andrei Zyuzin

1996-97 Stephen Guolla

1995-96 Marcus Ragnarsson

1994-95 Jeff Friesen