(New York) Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The NHL made the announcement Saturday evening.
This is the second time this honor has been given to Barkov, who also finished first in voting in 2021.
The forward was an important part of his side this season, who finished top of the league in goals allowed.
The Finn won 53.3% of his faceoffs, ranking ninth among players who played at least 50 games and took a minimum of 500 faceoffs.
The 28-year-old center received 156 of 194 first-place votes from members of the Professional Association of Hockey Journalists. He was on all but two ballots.
Barkov and the Panthers face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final. This is the second year in a row that the Panthers have participated in the Eastern final, having lost in the Stanley Cup final in 2023 against the Vegas Golden Knights.