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The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded each year to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. The trophy was first awarded in the 1977-98 season. Its winner is chosen by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA).
This article explores this year's Frank J. Selke Trophy finalists, the award's record holders and its history.
2024 finalists for Frank J. Selke Trophy
The NHL has announced the three finalists for the 2023-24 Frank J. Selke Trophy on Sunday.
This year's finalists are Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers and Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Auston Matthews, already the recipient of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's top goal-scorer and a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy, is a first-time finalist for the Selke. Matthews not only led the NHL with 69 goals and 107 points but also showcased his defensive prowess with 85 takeaways and 93 blocks.
Aleksander Barkov is no stranger to the Selke Trophy, having won the award in 2020-21 and finishing third in the voting in 2021-22. He recorded 23 goals, 80 points and a plus-33 rating while excelling in the faceoff circle with a 57.3% success rate.
Jordan Staal anchored the Hurricanes' top penalty-killing unit, leading all Carolina forwards in shorthanded ice time, and won an impressive 58.1% of his faceoffs. Staal's nomination comes 14 years after his first Selke nod in 2009-10 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
History of Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is named after the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. It was the last of the five major NHL awards named after the Original Six team executives and owners. The trophy has been given out 45 times to 27 players since it was first introduced.
The Montreal Canadiens' Bob Gainey was the inaugural recipient, winning the award for four consecutive years.
Record holders of Frank J. Selke Trophy
Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins holds the record with an impressive six Selke Trophy wins throughout his career. Bob Gainey follows closely behind with four victories. Three players are tied for the third-most wins, each capturing the trophy three times: Guy Carbonneau, Jere Lehtinen and Pavel Datsyuk.
In the history of the award, only one player has won both the Selke Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy for Most Valuable Player in the same season. Sergei Fedorov achieved this remarkable feat during the 1993-94 NHL season.
While no Art Ross Trophy winner has simultaneously won the Selke, Fedorov came close in 1994, finishing second in regular season scoring. Doug Gilmour set the record for the highest point total in a Selke-winning season, scoring 127 points during the 1992-93 NHL season.
