Nick Suzuki Joins Cirelli, Nelson as Selke Trophy Finalists
Nick Suzuki is a Selke Trophy finalist, joining Anthony Cirelli and Brock Nelson after the NHL named the three players Wednesday. The award goes to the league’s best defensive forward, and this year’s field spans Montreal, Tampa Bay and Colorado.
Suzuki’s 101-point season
Suzuki’s case starts with production. The Canadiens captain scored a career-high 101 points in 82 games, led Montreal with 43 power-play points and finished with a team-best +37 rating while averaging 20:49 of ice time per game.
He also sat sixth in the NHL with 1,449 face-offs, a workload that put him in the middle of nearly every important shift. A Selke win would give Montreal its eighth winner, with Bob Gainey taking the trophy four straight times from 1978 to 1981 and Guy Carbonneau winning it in 1988, 1989 and 1992.
Cirelli’s Tampa Bay edge
Cirelli brings a different profile to the finalist group. He scored 23 goals and 52 points in 71 games for Tampa Bay, posted a career-best plus/minus of +38 and led the Lightning by winning 48.2% of his face-offs while averaging 17:19 of ice time per game.
His path to the finalist list also carries an organizational edge. If Cirelli wins, he would become the first Lightning player to take the award, a notable marker for a team that has never had a Selke winner before.
Nelson and Colorado
Nelson’s numbers come with a strong defensive load attached. He scored 33 goals and 32 assists for 65 points in 81 games, won 50.4% of his face-offs, took 1,459 draws and averaged 1:51 of ice time shorthanded per game while helping the NHL’s best penalty kill.
He averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time per game, which reflects the role Colorado gave him at even strength and while short-handed. No Avalanche player has won the Selke Trophy, though Peter Forsberg was a runner-up in 1997 and Joe Sakic finished second in 2001.
The finalists now give voters three clear choices: Suzuki’s offensive punch with a defensive edge, Cirelli’s two-way production and face-off work, or Nelson’s penalty-kill value and draw volume. The vote from the Professional Hockey Writers Association will settle which of those profiles becomes the season’s Selke winner.
