Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has received the Selke Trophy because the NHL’s greatest defensive ahead for the second straight season.
Barkov has now received the Selke thrice (2021, ’24, ’25) in his 12-season NHL profession. Former Boston Bruins middle Patrice Bergeron holds the all-time mark for many Selke wins with six.
Together with the Selke, Barkov was introduced because the winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, introduced “to the participant who greatest exemplifies management qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his neighborhood.”
Barkov has been a longtime supporter of the Joe DiMaggio Youngsters’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, a number one pediatric hospital that helps youngsters with most cancers, blood issues, coronary heart transplants, emergency care and rehabilitation. A number of ladies and boys from the hospital stunned Barkov with the 2 trophies on the Panthers’ follow facility lately.
Barkov, 29, received the Selke by a powerful margin over linemate Sam Reinhart, a first-time finalist who completed second for the award. Barkov appeared on 173 of the 191 ballots as voted on by the Skilled Hockey Writers Affiliation and was the best choice on 96 of them. Reinhart had 29 first-place votes, tying him with Tampa Bay Lightning middle Anthony Cirelli, one other first-time finalist who completed third.
Barkov and Reinhart are the primary teammates ever to complete first and second in Selke Trophy voting. This additionally marks the primary time in 23 years that teammates have swept the highest two positions for a voted-on NHL award.
The Panthers middle helped his group to top-10 finishes in goals-against per sport (seventh), shots-against per sport (fifth) and penalty kill effectivity (tenth). He ranked fourth amongst NHL forwards in shot-attempt share (59.3%), in response to the NHL’s metrics.
The subsequent two gamers exterior the highest three finalists have been New Jersey Devils middle Nico Hischier and Vegas Golden Knights middle Jack Eichel. Among the many different gamers who acquired first-place votes have been Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and two-time Selke winner Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings.
