A Statistical Analysis of 2011 Selke Finalists
Tuesday, November 30th, 1999The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game” as judged by the approximately 400 member Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. The NHL Awards are voted on at the end of the regular season, so the writers did not, unfortunately, get to take into account Detroit Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk’s incredible first-round performance against the Phoenix Coyotes. Nor could they factor in Ryan Kesler and Jonathan Toews’ significant contributions in the seven-game battle which their respective teams, the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks, recently fought.
Pavel Datsyuk has claimed the trophy each of the last three years, and every time he has been nominated. If he were to win again, he would be first player to do so four consecutive times since Montreal’s Bob Gainey won it from ‘77-78 to ‘80-81, the first four seasons the award was presented. (more…)