Florida Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, along with Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli, were named finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy on Friday.
The Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL’s top defensive forward, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Barkov, the Panthers’ captain, is a finalist for the fourth time in five seasons. He is looking to become just the fourth player in the past 25 years to win the award in back-to-back seasons, joining Patrice Bergeron, Pavel Datsyuk, and Rod Brind’Amour.
Reinhart, meanwhile, played a key role on Florida’s penalty kill and led the team with 81 points (39 goals, 42 assists). He helped the Panthers set a franchise record with 12 short-handed goals, contributing five himself. That made him the first player since Philadelphia’s Mike Richards (2007-08 and 2008-09) to record five or more short-handed goals in consecutive seasons.
This marks the first time in over 15 years that two teammates have been named Selke finalists in the same season. The last duo to do so was Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, who finished first and third in voting in 2007-08.
Cirelli also turned in a standout season with a career-best plus-30 rating — seventh among all NHL forwards. He recorded 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) and tied for second in the league with seven short-handed points (four goals, three assists).
The winner of the Selke Trophy will be announced during the 2025 NHL Awards.
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