Boston's Bergeron again a finalist for NHL's top defensive forward award - Press Herald

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Patrice Bergeron is again a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, honoring the league’s top defensive forward. Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Boston center Patrice Bergeron is again among the top defensive awards after being named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy.

Bergeron is a four-time winner of the award honoring the league’s top defensive forward and last won the award in 2017 to tie Montreal’s Bob Gainey for most Selke honors. Bergeron led Bruins forwards in shifts per game and ice time, helping Boston allow a league-low 174 goals.

Bergeron is joined by Philadelphia center Sean Couturier and St. Louis center Ryan O’Reilly as finalists. O’Reilly, who is also a Lady Byng finalist for sportsmanship this year, is in position to become the first player to repeat as Selke winner since Bergeron in 2014 and ’15. O’Reilly led the NHL for the third straight season in face-off wins (880).

Couturier, who finished second in the Selke voting in 2018, led Flyers skaters with a plus-21 rating, and forwards in both overall ice time and shorthanded ice time.

The NHL also announdced its finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy awarded to the league’s top defenseman: Washington’s John Carlson, Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman and Nashville’s Roman Josi.

Led by Carlson’s 75 points (15 goals, 60 assists), the three were the NHL’s top point-producers among defensemen. Carlson and Josi, who had 65 points (16 goals, 49 assists), were the only two blueliners to lead their team in points this season.

Hedman, who finished third among defensemen with 55 points (11 goals, 44 assists), is a finalist for the fourth consecutive year – the longest streak since Nicklas Lidstrom’s four-year run from 2006 to ’09. Hedman is the only finalist to have previously won the Norris, doing so in 2018.

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