Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron has won the 2022 Frank J. Selke Trophy as “the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”
Bergeron, 36, received 160 of 195 first-place votes to capture the award for the fifth time in his career. The Selke Trophy is voted upon by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
Elias Lindholm (Calgary Flames) and Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) were also named finalists for the award, with Ryan O’Reilly (St. Louis Blues) and Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning) rounding out the top five vote-getters.
Bergeron became the first player to win the Selke Trophy five times, passing legendary Montreal Canadiens forward and four-time winner Bob Gainey. The NHL introduced the award in 1978, with Gainey being named the winner in each of its first four years of existence.
Bergeron had a banner year in 2021-22. He scored 25 goals and had 65 points in 73 games during the regular season while helping the Bruins control 65.1 percent of all shot attempts during his shifts at five-on-five.
Unlike Gainey, whose wins all came consecutively, Bergeron has won the Selke at numerous different points in his career.
Bergeron received the award for the first time in 2012, just a year after winning the Stanley Cup with Boston. His subsequent wins have come in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2022.
While he hasn’t always won the award, Bergeron has been a finalist for the Selke Trophy in each of the last 11 seasons — also a league record.
Bergeron received the 2022 Selke Trophy from 1984 winner and former NHL ironman Doug Jarvis.
“I’m humbled by the honor and I’m sharing this award with my teammates, past and present,” Bergeron said on Sunday. “My coaches, trainers, and the whole Boston Bruins organization, thanks for making me a better player and person.”
Bergeron is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July upon the expiration of his eight-year, $6.875 million-AAV contract with the Bruins.
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