Bob Gainey ought to be shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Look out, Bob—Pavel Datsyuk is gunning for you!
Gainey, the former Montreal Canadiens forward, is perhaps the only player in league history to have a trophy cast especially for him.
It was largely because of Gainey's defensive prowess—something the NHL barely used to recognize for forwards---that the league came up with the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1978, presented to the NHL's best defensive forward.
Gainey won the Trophy the first four years of its existence (1978-81).
Aside from Gainey, no player had won the Trophy in even three consecutive years, let alone four.
Until now.
The Red Wings' Datsyuk is the three-year reigning champion of the Selke, winning it in 2008, 2009, and 2010. If he keeps it up, he'll match Gainey with four in a row.
Datsyuk is becoming the Nick Lidstrom of the Selke.
As good as Datsyuk is with the puck—a veritable wizard on skates—he's at least as good, if not better, without the disc in his possession.
That's because, if he's on the ice and doesn't have the puck, wait ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Greg Eno
The Selke Trophy: Can Anyone Wrestle it From Pavel Datsyuk in 2011?
September 24th, 2010 by Greg Eno Leave a reply »
Advertisement