Leafs' Mitch Marner named Selke Trophy finalist for first time in his career
Mitch Marner was one of the top offensive players in the NHL this season, but today the Toronto Maple Leafs forward was recognized for his excellent two-way play.
The NHL revealed the nominees for the Selke and Lady Byng trophies this evening. Marner, along with Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, was nominated for the Selke Trophy, which is awarded annually to the forward that “best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”
The last Leafs player to win the Selke Trophy was Doug Gilmour in 1992-93.
Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils), Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings), and Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning) were the three nominees for the Lady Byng Trophy, given to the player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association voted on both awards prior to the start of the playoffs. The winners will be revealed on June 26 at the NHL Awards in Nashville.
Marner has received Selke votes in each of the past four seasons but never finished higher than 10th place. The 25-year-old Leafs winger scored 99 points in 80 games this season and was one of his team’s most relied-upon penalty killers.
He led the NHL in takeaways with 104, becoming just the seventh player to tally more than 100 takeaways in a season since the statistic was introduced in 1997-98.