Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Forward, for the fifth time in his career.
This prize awarded Sunday before game number 3 of the Eastern Conference final series could be the last of the Quebecer, if he decides to hang up his skates at the dawn of his 37e anniversary. He does not have a contract for the next season and declined to say if he plans to be back for a 19e season in the NHL.
Bergeron could announce his retirement, but it wouldn’t be because of his performance. He is still as effective on the ice as ever.
Bergeron led the Bettman circuit with 991 faceoffs won and a success rate of 61.9%. He also posted the best puck possession rate among players who played at least 50 games this season.
The noh 37 of the Bruins finished the campaign with 65 points in 73 games, ranking third in team scoring, behind Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.
Bergeron’s fifth Selke Trophy win allowed him to break the tie for first place in history with Montreal Canadiens player Bob Gainey, who won this honor in the first four years of this distinction.
In addition, Bergeron was a finalist in this category for an 11e season in a row — the longest streak in history, ahead of Wayne Gretzky’s 10-year streak to win the Hart Trophy as NHL Most Valuable Player between 1980 and 1989.
Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov and Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm were the other finalists, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Bergeron won easily, with 160 first-place votes.