Each season, the NHL awards the Frank J. Selke Trophy to "the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game."
Introduced at the end of the 1977-78 season, it's as if the trophy was created to honour Montreal Canadiens left wing Bob Gainey. He established a benchmark that still stands today, with four consecutive victories.
Since Gainey's reign came to a close, centers have dominated in Selke voting. In addition to carrying more defensive responsibilities than their wingers, their performances in the faceoff circle go a long way toward determining their team's success with puck possession.
Though past Selke winners have included defensive specialists like John Madden of the New Jersey Devils or three-time winner Jere Lehtinen of the Dallas Stars, voters from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association often reward players who can score goals as well as offer up airtight defense.
Just over a month into the 2014-15 NHL season, here's a look at the early contenders for this year's Selke Trophy.
All stats courtesy of NHL.com and Hockey-Reference.com. All stats current through games Tuesda ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Carol Schram
Ranking the Top Candidates for the 2014-15 Selke Trophy
November 12th, 2014 by Carol Schram Leave a reply »
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