Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was named to the National Hockey League’s 2025-26 First All-Star Team, the club and league announced today. Voting for the league’s postseason all-star teams were conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season.
Werenski, who was awarded the 2025-26 James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s top defenseman on June 2, earned First-Team honors for the second-straight campaign. He joins goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (First Team in 2012-13 and 2016-17) as the second player in franchise history to be named to multiple All-Star Teams. Goaltender Steve Mason (Second Team in 2008-09) and defenseman Seth Jones (Second Team in 2017-18) have also received postseason All-Star Team honors.
The 28-year-old blueliner registered 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points, including 18-41-59 at even-strength, with 260 shots on goal and a +7 plus/minus rating on 26:37 of ice time in 75 games in 2025-26. He finished second in the NHL in average ice time, 14th-T in even-strength points and 15th in multi-point efforts (26). He also led league defensemen in multi-point efforts, even-strength goals (tied) and shots on goal and ranked second in points, points-per-game (1.08) and even-strength points, third-T in goals and fourth-T in assists.
The 6-2, 214-pound defenseman also led Columbus in assists, points, points-per-game, multi-point efforts and shots on goal and finished third in goals. He set a single-season franchise record for multi-point outings and tied the franchise mark for assists for the second consecutive season. He also registered the third-highest total for even-strength points and fourth-most points in a single campaign in club history.
A native of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Werenski became the fifth U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history to record multiple 80-point campaigns in 2025-26 after notching 23-59-82 in 81 games in 2024-25. He is the third to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons, joining Phil Housley (1991-92 to 1992-93 with Winnipeg) and Brian Leetch (1990-91 to 1991-92 with NY Rangers). He’s also the third American blueliner to notch consecutive 20-goal campaigns along with Housley (six-straight from 1986-92) and Reed Larson (five-straight from 1979-84).
Werenski is the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and ranks second in points, third in games played, fourth in shots on goal and fifth in goals with 135-330-465 and 1,846 shots in 642 career games in 10 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets. He leads all NHL defensemen in even-strength goals (104) and ranks third in goals, fourth in shots on goal and eighth in points since making his NHL debut in 2016-17. He was selected by Columbus in the first-round, eighth overall, at the 2015 NHL Draft.
