The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association following the regular season. Named after Frank J. Selke, former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, the trophy has been awarded 36 times to 23 different players since the 1977–78 NHL season. The current holder is Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins.
Who Has Won the Most Selke Trophies?
Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins leads the way with five wins all-time, passing Bob Gainey with his win in 2022. Gainey was selected as the winner of the trophy for the first four years of its existence until Boston Bruins‘ forward Steve Kasper broke his streak in 1982. Former Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk almost matched his feat in 2011, but Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler ended up winning it instead.
How is the Winner of the Selke Determined?
The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association following the regular season.
Which Team Has the Most Selke Trophy Winners?
The Red Wings and Canadiens are tied with seven wins apiece. The Red Wings had Datsyuk with three, Sergei Fedorov with two, and Kris Draper and Steve Yzerman rounding it out with one each. While the Canadiens had Gainey with four and Guy Carbonneau with three.
Interesting Facts About the Selke
- Fedorov is the only player to win the Selke Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy in the same season (1993-94)
- There are six Selke Award winners in the Hockey Hall of Fame (Bob Gainey, Bobby Clarke, Doug Gilmour, Sergei Fedorov, Ron Francis, and Steve Yzerman)
- The Canadiens and Red Wings were rivals when Frank Selke was GM of the Canadiens, so it’s fitting that they are tied with the most wins
Deeper Dive
- Red Wings: 7 Art Ross & 7 Frank J. Selke Trophies
- Flyers’ Sean Couturier Earns First Career Selke Trophy
- Last Vancouver Canuck to Win Each NHL Award
Oldest & Youngest Selke Winners
Youngest to win the award: 20-years old, Steve Kasper – 1981-82
Oldest to win the award: 36-years old, Rod Brind’Amour – 2006-07, Rick Meagher – 1989-90 & Patrice Bergeron – 2021-22
Average age: 28.2-years old
…from NHL Awards Oldest & Youngest
Selke Trophy Winners
| Season | Winner | Team | Win # |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–78 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | 1 |
| 1978–79 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | 2 |
| 1979–80 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | 3 |
| 1980–81 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | 4 |
| 1981–82 | Steve Kasper | Boston Bruins | 1 |
| 1982–83 | Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | 1 |
| 1983–84 | Doug Jarvis | Washington Capitals | 1 |
| 1984–85 | Craig Ramsay | Buffalo Sabres | 1 |
| 1985–86 | Troy Murray | Chicago Blackhawks | 1 |
| 1986–87 | Dave Poulin | Philadelphia Flyers | 1 |
| 1987–88 | Guy Carbonneau | Montreal Canadiens | 1 |
| 1988–89 | Guy Carbonneau | Montreal Canadiens | 2 |
| 1989–90 | Rick Meagher | St. Louis Blues | 1 |
| 1990–91 | Dirk Graham | Chicago Blackhawks | 1 |
| 1991–92 | Guy Carbonneau | Montreal Canadiens | 3 |
| 1992–93 | Doug Gilmour | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1 |
| 1993–94 | Sergei Fedorov | Detroit Red Wings | 1 |
| 1994–95 | Ron Francis | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1 |
| 1995–96 | Sergei Fedorov | Detroit Red Wings | 2 |
| 1996–97 | Michael Peca | Buffalo Sabres | 1 |
| 1997–98 | Jere Lehtinen | Dallas Stars | 1 |
| 1998–99 | Jere Lehtinen | Dallas Stars | 2 |
| 1999–2000 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | 1 |
| 2000–01 | John Madden | New Jersey Devils | 1 |
| 2001–02 | Michael Peca | New York Islanders | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Jere Lehtinen | Dallas Stars | 3 |
| 2003–04 | Kris Draper | Detroit Red Wings | 1 |
| 2004–05 | Season cancelled due to the league’s lockout | ||
| 2005–06 | Rod Brind’Amour | Carolina Hurricanes | 1 |
| 2006–07 | Rod Brind’Amour | Carolina Hurricanes | 2 |
| 2007–08 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings | 1 |
| 2008–09 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings | 2 |
| 2009–10 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings | 3 |
| 2010–11 | Ryan Kesler | Vancouver Canucks | 1 |
| 2011–12 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | 1 |
| 2012–13 | Jonathan Toews | Chicago Blackhawks | 1 |
| 2013–14 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | 2 |
| 2014–15 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | 3 |
| 2015–16 | Anze Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings | 1 |
| 2016–17 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | 4 |
| 2017–18 | Anze Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Ryan O’Reilly | St. Louis Blues | 1 |
| 2019–20 | Sean Couturier | Philadelphia Flyers | 1 |
| 2020–21 | Aleksander Barkov | Florida Panthers | 1 |
| 2021–22 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | 5 |