BUFFALO – The National Hockey League announced on Wednesday that Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has been named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the 2025-26 season.
He is joined by Anthony Cirelli and Brock Nelson as the award’s other finalists.
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is presented annually “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.” Voted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PWHA), the trophy was presented by the NHL’s Board of Governors in honor of Frank J. Selke, one of the great architects of Montreal’s and Toronto’s championship teams. It was first awarded in 1977-78.
Suzuki, 26, led his team with a plus-37 differential, and led all Canadiens forwards in shot attempt differential (SAT, also known as Corsi), with 101, unblocked shot attempt differential (USAT, also known as Fenwick), with 154, and takeaways, with 29. His 62 blocked shots were third among team forwards.
After setting a new career high with a 12-game point streak early in the season, Suzuki set a number of other personal milestones in 2025-26. The captain reached the 300-assist, 400-point, and 500-game marks this season, and became the first Canadiens player in 40 years – and just the fifth all-time – to record 100 points in a single campaign.
Suzuki enjoyed 29 multi-point games in 2025-26, the most by a Montreal player in a season since Mats Naslund’s 31 in 1985-86, and he is also now the all-time franchise leader in career overtime points with 20.
Former Canadiens captain Bob Gainey won the award the first four years it was handed out, while fellow former captain Guy Carbonneau was himself a three-time winner.
Suzuki was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade in September 2018. He was Vegas’ first-round pick (13th overall) in 2017.
