Finalists for 2017 Frank J Selke Award Announced

Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, Ryan Kesler of the Anaheim Ducks and Mikko Koivu were announced as the three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for best defensive forward on Wednesday. 

Bergeron, a three time Selke winner (2012, 2014 & 2015) and six time finalists led the National Hockey League in shot attempt percentage (61.10) amongst players that played 40 or more games. He also led the league in faceoff wins, with 1,089 and his 60.1 percent faceoff winning percentage ranked third amongst players with a minimum of 500 faceoffs. 

His 302 shots on goal during the 2016-2017 season, gave him the third most in the NHL and was his career’s second best. With 53 points (21 goals & 32 assists) in 79 games during the past season, he was the fourth leading scorer for the Bruins.  

Last season Bergeron finished second in the Selke voting behind Los Angeles Kings center, Anze Kopitar. Only Hall of Famer, Bob Gainey has won the award four times over the course of his career.

Kesler, won the Selke during the 2011 season with the Vancouver Canuks and is a five-time finalist for the award. His career high, 1,029 faceoff wins, put him in third place in the NHL during the 2016-2017 season. 

His 21:08 of ice time during the past season was third most amongst forwards. He was also sixth in faceoff winning percentage, as he won about 57.4 percent of his draws. With 58 points (22 goals & 36 assists) he was second on the Ducks in scoring. Kesler finished third in the 2016 Selke voting. 

Koivu, a first-time finalist, set a career high in plus/minus this past season, with a plus-27, while blocking 65 shots, won 55.2 percent of his draws. His 58 points (18 goals & 40 assists) were good for third place on the Wild. 

The 2009 Selke voting was the closest that Koivu has come to taking home the hardware, when he finished fourth. 

The winner will be announced live, during the 2017 NHL Awards at the T-Mobile Arena, the new home of the NHL’s newest franchise the Vegas Golden Knights, on June 21 at 7:30 PM. The awards ceremony, along with the expansion draft can be seen on NBCSN in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada.