Cirelli, Nelson, Suzuki named finalists for 2026 Selke Trophy
A trio of players is being recognized for their all-around efforts this past season.
On Wednesday, the NHL announced that the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s Anthony Cirelli, Colorado Avalanche’s Brock Nelson and the Montreal Canadiens‘ Nick Suzuki have been named finalists for the 2025-26 Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL.
Presenting the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy! 🏆 #NHLAwards The trophy is presented annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.
The award is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Cirelli is coming off another solid season with the Lightning. After finishing as a finalist behind Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers last year, he scored 23 goals in 71 games, marking the third straight season the Etobicoke, Ont. native has hit the 20-goal mark. He also registered 52 points, the second consecutive season he’s reached the half-century plateau. Cirelli also notched a career-best plus/minus of +38, leading the team with winning 48.2% of face-offs, while averaging 17:19 of ice time per game.
If he were to win, Cirelli would become the first member of the Lightning to win the award.
Nelson was an exceptional asset for the Presidents’ Trophy winners. He had a 50.4% win rate at the dot, with 1,459 face-offs, ranking him fourth in the NHL. He averaged 1:51 of ice time shorthanded per game, having a hand in the league’s best penalty kill. On top of that, he scored 33 goals and 32 assists for 65 points in 81 games, averaging just a hair under 20 minutes TOI.
No Avalanche player has ever won the Selke, though Hockey Hall of Famers Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic were runners-up in 1997 and 2001, respectively.
Suzuki has been a crucial piece to the Canadiens’ rise in recent years. He more than helped the team succeed this time around, scoring a career-high 101 points in 82 games and leading the club with 43 power-play points. Defensively, the Montreal captain led the team with a +37 rating, sitting sixth in the NHL with 1,449 face-offs. He also averaged 20:49 of ice time per game, leading all Habs forwards.
A Selke win for Suzuki would mark the eighth time a Hab has taken home the award. Bob Gainey, for whom the trophy was seemingly created, won it the first four times from 1978 to 1981, while Guy Carbonneau received the honor in 1988, 1989, and 1992.