Patrice Bergeron's continued excellence as a two-way center has been recognized once again, as the NHL announced on Sunday that the Bruins captain is a Selke Trophy finalist for a 10th straight year.
The Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the "the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game as judged by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association."
This extends the records Bergeron already owned for most nominations and most consecutive nominations. He is looking to become the first player in history to win five Selkes. Bergeron is currently tied with former Canadien Bob Gainey at four, having won the award in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
The other two finalists are Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone. Neither has ever won the Selke. Barkov is a first-time finalist, but he has finished in the top five in voting twice. Stone was a finalist in 2019, when he finished second behind St. Louis' Ryan O'Reilly.
Barkov is generally considered the favorite this year, and any of the three would certainly be deserving. The Athletic's formula to measure defensive value ranks Barkov first among the three, with Bergeron second and Stone third. Evolving-Hockey's defensive goals above replacement metric, meanwhile, ranks Bergeron first of the three, followed by Stone and then Barkov.
Bergeron also led the NHL with 714 faceoff wins and a 62.2% faceoff percentage.
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy reacted to the new of Bergeron's nomination during his Sunday press conference.
"Well, that's good. People are continuing to pay attention, because he deserves it," Cassidy said. "Certainly he emulates what that award's all about. He did again this year. I know there's a couple other good candidates he's up against, so that's always a tough call for the people deciding, but I'm glad to see him get his just due. And good luck to him.
"I obviously am biased, but I feel he should be the winner. I'm sure the coaches of the other players feel the same way. Good for Patrice. I'm proud of him again bringing it every year. It's another year under his belt. To keep playing that way on both sides of the puck is really a testament to not just his physical ability, but his mental toughness to do it every night."
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