BERGERON UP FOR SELKE NO. 5
Boston’s Patrice Bergeron, Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers and Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings are the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy.
The award is given to the league’s best defensive forward. The winner will be announced June 20, during the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.
Bergeron placed sixth in the NHL in faceoff win percentage (57.3 per cent) and was a league-best 58.3 per cent while short-handed. The 14th-year Bruin has four career Selke wins, tied for the all-time lead with Bob Gainey.
Couturier tied for third place in the NHL in plus-minus with a plus-34 rating and ranked second leaguewide in ice time for forwards (1,770:31).
Kopitar led all forwards in ice time (1,810:58), an average of 22:05 per game, on a club that led the league in team defence.