Three Bruins Included on Midseason Awards List

With an impressive first half of the season in the books, three Bruins forwards are being recognized for their performances on the ice. Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy and Zdeno Chara were all included on the Professional Hockey Writers Association's Midseason Awards list announced on Friday. The awards, which included the eight traditional end-of-season honors and two new awards, were voted on by more than 150 writers and broadcasters and 2,000 fans.
Bergeron finished first in voting for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game, in front of Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings' Anze Kopitar. Bergeron has already won the award four times during his career, claiming it in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017. If he earns the honor again, he will break his tie with former Montreal Canadiens forward Bob Gainey to become the first player in NHL history to win it five times.

The 14-year veteran is having yet another stellar season both offensively and defensively. Bergeron has registered 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points in 42 games this season while winning 57.4% of his faceoffs and accumulating 39 takeaways.
The Calder Trophy, awarded to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition, featured rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy as a finalist. The Long Beach, New York native finished third in voting behind New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal and Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser. McAvoy has been turning heads in his first season, tallying five goals and 20 assists for 25 points through his first 45 games, while racking up 102 hits and 56 blocked shots. He will look to become the first Bruin to win the Calder since goaltender Andrew Raycroft did so in the 2003-2004 season.
One of the new honors featured on the list was the Rod Langway Award, given to the defenseman who best excels in the defensive aspect of the game. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara finished second in voting behind Los Angeles King defenseman Drew Doughty and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. With 1,397 games under his belt through nearly 20 seasons, Chara continues to shut down his opponents' top threats, blocking 83 shots and throwing 97 hits in 47 games this season. His +25 rating is second in the NHL behind only Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson's +26.