- The NHL announced the three finalists for the 2025-26 Frank J. Selke Trophy on Wednesday
- Nick Suzuki is the first Canadiens Selke finalist since Guy Carbonneau in 1991-92
- Read below for a breakdown of each finalist’s case for best defensive forward
The Selke Trophy race is down to three.
The NHL announced Wednesday that Anthony Cirelli, Brock Nelson and Nick Suzuki have been voted finalists for the 2025-26 Frank J. Selke Trophy, an award given to the forward who best excels on the defensive side of the game. The Professional Hockey Writers Association does the voting.
Here’s the full announcement:
Cirelli is back on the ballot for a second straight year. The Lightning center put up 52 points (23 goals, 29 assists) in 71 games and finished with a career-best plus-38 rating.
He led Tampa Bay with 1,075 face-offs taken at 48.2 percent and averaged 2:38 of short-handed time a night. A win would make him the first Lightning player to take home the Selke.
Nelson made his presence felt in his first full season in Colorado. The 33-year-old put up 65 points and ranked fourth in the NHL with 1,459 face-offs at 50.4 percent.
His penalty-killing minutes helped the Avalanche lead the league at 84.6 percent on the kill, and Colorado allowed a league-low 197 goals on the way to the Presidents’ Trophy. No Avalanche forward has ever won this award.
Suzuki’s case might be the loudest of the three. The Canadiens captain hit a career-high 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists), posted a plus-37 rating and led all Habs forwards at 20:49 of ice time per game. He hasn’t missed a contest in his seven NHL seasons.
Take a look at what he can do with the puck:
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis was thrilled to see his captain get the nod.
“I feel that he’s always tried to play to that identity,” St. Louis said. “To finally get recognized at this level, I know we’re very excited for him. I know it’s an honor for him.”
Suzuki would be the first Hab to take the Selke since Guy Carbonneau in 1991-92. Bob Gainey, the man the trophy was practically made for, won the first four straight from 1978 to 1981.
Aleksander Barkov has been the back-to-back winner, but the Panthers captain isn’t in the running this year after knee surgery wiped out his entire 2025-26 campaign. The opening was always going to land somewhere.
This is the second NHL Awards trio to drop this week, following the Bill Masterton finalists on Monday. The Norris finalists are slated for Thursday, with the Hart Memorial Trophy reveal coming on Friday.
