Nick Suzuki wins Selke Trophy as top defensive forward

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the National Hockey League’s top defensive forward for the 2025-26 season. The league announced the award Friday, with Suzuki earning a decisive victory in voting conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Suzuki, 26, received 151 first-place votes and 1,726 total points, far outpacing fellow finalists Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche. Cirelli finished second with 10 first-place votes and 467 points, while Nelson placed third with four first-place votes and 406 points. The award recognizes the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.

This marks Suzuki’s first Selke Trophy win and his first time as a finalist, though he finished 13th in voting in each of the two prior seasons. He becomes just the third Canadiens player to win the award, joining franchise legends and Hockey Hall of Famers Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau. The trophy was won the previous two seasons by Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire 2025-26 campaign due to injury.

Suzuki’s win caps a career-best season where he established...