An annual award “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.” Winner selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association at the end of the regular schedule. History: Presented to the National Hockey League in 1977 by the Board of Governors of the NHL in honor of Frank J. Selke, one of the great architects of Montreal and Toronto championship teams. Center Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings captured the Frank Selke Trophy for the first time in his career. He had previously been a runner-up for the award behind Patrice Bergeron in 2014. Kopitar garnered 1,145 voting points, including 77 first-place votes, to edge out Bergeron of Boston, who had won the award three times in the past four seasons. Bergeron had 46 first-place votes and 996 points. Ryan Kesler of Anaheim was third with nine first-place votes and 424 points. Jonathan Toews of Chicago, the winner in 2013, was fourth with five first-place votes and 409 points. San Jose’s Joe Thorton finished fifth with three first-place votes and 166 points. Kopitar led all NHL forwards in total ice time (1,690:12), an average of 20:52 per game, on a club that ranked third in the NHL in team defense, allowing an average of 2.34 goals a contest. He ranked fifth and seventh league-wide in total faceoffs and faceoff wins with 1,776 and 950, respectively, setting career highs in both categories. He placed second in the NHL in plus-minus (+34) and was the league ’s third-ranked forward in the team puck possession metric SAT (shot attempts differential), as the Kings registered 332 more shot attempts than they allowed when Kopitar was on the ice while each team had five skaters per side.

The Selke Trophy was presented to the National Hockey League in 1977 by the Board of Governors of the NHL in honor of Frank J. Selke, one of the great architects of NHL championship teams.