The Selke Trophy finalists have been announced, spotlighting three exceptional centers: Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens. Each player demonstrated outstanding skills both offensively and defensively throughout the NHL season.
Anthony Cirelli’s Impressive Season
Anthony Cirelli accumulated 52 points in 71 games last season, with 23 goals and 29 assists. He achieved a career-high plus-38 rating and led the Lightning in face-offs taken, successfully winning 48.2 percent of them. Cirelli averaged 17:19 of ice time per game.
His contributions were significant in the Lightning’s success, helping the team secure a plus-57 goal differential, the second-best in the league. Notably, Cirelli played a crucial role in their power play, which ranked third overall with an 82.6 percent success rate. The Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 50-26-6.
This marks Cirelli’s second consecutive nomination for the Selke Trophy. Should he win, he would be the first player from the Lightning to achieve this honor.
Brock Nelson’s Standout Performance
Brock Nelson had an impressive season with 65 points, comprising 33 goals and 32 assists over 81 games for the Avalanche. He averaged 19:39 of ice time and made significant contributions to the power play, scoring 10 goals and netting nine game-winning goals.
Nelson ranked fourth in the NHL for face-offs taken, winning 50.4 percent of his attempts. His defensive efforts helped the Avalanche secure the best penalty-kill percentage in the league at 84.6 percent. His performance directly contributed to the Avalanche’s remarkable record of 55-16-11, which earned them the Presidents’ Trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy.
This is Nelson’s first nomination for the Selke Trophy, giving him a chance to become the first Avalanche player to win the prestigious award.
Nick Suzuki’s All-Around Excellence
Nick Suzuki, who has maintained an ironman streak throughout his seven-season NHL career, led the Canadiens with a career-high of 101 points—29 goals and 72 assists—in 82 games. He also topped the team in power-play points with 43 and held a plus-minus rating of plus-37.
Among centers, Suzuki ranked sixth in the league with 1,449 face-offs taken, winning 50.4 percent. His average ice time was 20:49, the highest for any Montreal forward. Suzuki’s contributions were vital in helping the Canadiens achieve a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division with a record of 48-21-10.
If successful, Suzuki would be the first Canadiens player to win the Selke Trophy since Guy Carbonneau in the 1991-92 season.
Conclusion
The competition for this year’s Selke Trophy is fierce, with Cirelli, Nelson, and Suzuki each bringing unique skills to the ice. As they vie for recognition of their two-way play, each player remains a significant asset to their respective teams.
- Anthony Cirelli: 52 points, 23 goals, 29 assists, plus-38 rating
- Brock Nelson: 65 points, 33 goals, 32 assists, plus-99 goal differential
- Nick Suzuki: 101 points, 29 goals, 72 assists, plus-37 rating
