Patrice Bergeron is poised to win his fifth Frank J. Selke Trophy for being the best defensive forward in the NHL. Bergeron finished at least within the three final nominees for the award every year since the 2011-2012 season.
Bergeron: midseason Selke winner, per PHWA. pic.twitter.com/YZfy4SaPoB
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) 24. januára 2019
According to midseason voting from the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA), Bergeron will be taking his fifth Selke Trophy in June, when the NHL awards its best players from the recently concluded season.
Patrice Bergeron doesn’t seem to get old at all. Even though he is already 33 years of age, he is having yet another marvelous season. Bergeron has collected 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points through 33 games thus far. But it’s not all solely about point production. However, he has missed 16 games because of a shoulder injury that even brought rumors of potential season-ending surgery.
Fortunately, Bergeron came back at the right time for Boston. The star center returned in star fashion when he recorded four points in his first game back from injury against the Nashville Predators before Christmas. And even Radek Faksa and his hard hit could not prevent Bergeron to be a leading favorite to win another Selke Trophy.
Bergeron won his first Selke Trophy in 2012, followed by back-to-back awards in 2014 and 2015. He finished as a runner-up in 2013 and then in 2016, before claiming his fourth award in 2017. Last year, same as in 2016, only Anze Kopitar from the Los Angeles Kings was picked as a better defensive forward in the League.
Making defensive plays and playing solid two-way hockey is what makes Patrice Bergeron a strong favorite to win Selke Trophy award each and every season. Everyone got a chance to see what the Bruins center was capable of doing on such a big stage like in the Winter Classic. Bergeron altered a great scoring chance, a one on nobody breakaway, with a terrific back-check late in the second period against David Kampf, when the Bruins were down by one goal. Just a few seconds later, he scored on the power play to even it up and the Bruins eventually defeated the Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium.
But that was just one of many great defensive plays Bergeron has made this season. PHWA also favors Florida Panthers center Alexander Barkov and Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators. The only players to beat Bergeron for this award since 2012 were Jonathan Toews and Anze Kopitar. Neither of these two has had a season quite as perfect as Bergeron, to prevent Bergeron from gaining the award.
Barkov and Stone find themselves on teams that probably won’t end up making the playoffs. Should Bergeron keep up his point production and adds one or two quality defensive plays, it seems like the Bruins star can lift his fifth Selke Trophy in five months.
What would it mean? Winning Selke Trophy five times, no one ever has achieved that before. Bergeron is currently tied at four Selkes with Bob Gainey, who played in the NHL nearly 30 years ago. There is hope for the Boston Bruins that Bergeron will not find himself injured for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, an injury occurred in the late stage of the last season, likely impeding Bergeron from having a real chance not only at Selke Trophy but possibly a Hart Trophy as well.
Barring injury, it is worth mentioning that Patrice Bergeron is scheduled to play in the 1000th game of his NHL career on Feb. 5 against the New York Islanders.
