Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov wins Selke Trophy as NHL's best defensive forward
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) passes his stick to a fan after the Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
NEW YORK — Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, the league announced Saturday night.
Barkov is a two-time Selke winner after also finishing first in voting for the award in 2021. He was a big part of the Panthers allowing the fewest goals this season and won 57.3% of his faceoffs, ranking ninth among players with at least 50 games and 500 attempts.
The 28-year-old center from Finland received 156 of 194 first-place votes from members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and was listed on all but two ballots.
In the playoffs, Barkov has led Florida to a second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference final.
