The NHL has announced their 2024-25 Frank J. Selke Trophy finalists. The finalists are: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli, and Florida Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded to the “forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”
This marks only the fifth time that two teammates have been nominated as finalists for the Selke Trophy, and the first time since 2007-08, when Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg from the Detroit Red Wings were nominated.
After Patrice Bergeron retired from the NHL, almost everyone in the hockey world knew Barkov would be an annual nominee for the Selke. He led the Panthers with 51 assists, 34 takeaways, and a 56.5% faceoff win rate, and he also scored 71 points. This is his fourth time being nominated for the trophy. He previously won the award in 2020-21 and 2023-24.
As for Reinhart, he had 39 goals, 13 power-play goals, and five shorthanded goals for 81 points. He also recorded 21 even-strength goals and 45 even-strength points. This is his first time being nominated for the Selke Trophy in his career. If he were to win, he would become the first winger to win it since Jere Lehtinen in 2003.
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Lastly, Cirelli is another player many in the hockey world believed would eventually become a regular finalist for the award. This season, he had 27 goals and 59 points in 80 games, along with 21 takeaways and 73 blocked shots. If he were to win the trophy, he would become the first player in Lightning history to do so.
