NHL awards 2024: Finalists announced for Norris Trophy as top defenseman

01/05/2024

The voting is in and the three finalists for each NHL regular season award are starting to be announced.

The announcements began Monday with the Vezina Trophy finalists for top goaltender and continued Wednesday with the Norris Trophy for top defenseman.

But the most interesting announcement will be next week for the Hart Trophy as MVP to his team.

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Four or more players could rightfully win the award, with NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning), Colorado Avalanche franchise record setter Nathan MacKinnon, three-time Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (league-best 69 goals) and others in the mix. Kucherov and McDavid became just the fourth and fifth players in NHL history to record 100 assists in a season.

nhl awards 2024: finalists announced for norris trophy as top defenseman

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is a Norris Trophy finalist for the fourth consecutive season.

The date and place for the NHL awards show have yet to be announced

Below are the finalists for each award, plus the schedule for the announcements:

Who are the finalists for the Norris Trophy (defenseman)?

Finalists (in alphabetical order): Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, Nashville Predators’ Roman Josi and Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar.

Who votes: Professional Hockey Writers Association

Hughes: He led all defensemen with 75 assists and 92 points – breaking his franchise records for a defenseman – as the Canucks won their first playoff berth since 2019‑20 and first division title since 2012-13. The first-time finalist was named Canucks captain this season. His younger brother Luke is a finalist for rookie of the year.

Josi: He led defensemen in goals (23), power-play goals (nine) and shots on goal (268) and finished third with 85 points. His goals were the most in NHL history by a defenseman 33 and older. He had 24 points during the Predators’ 18-game point streak that pushed Nashville into a playoff spot. Josi won the award in 2019-20 and finished second in 2021-22.

Makar: He had 21 goals, 69 assists and 90 points to top defensemen with 1.17 points per game – the third-highest average by a defenseman over the past 30 seasons (minimum: 50 games). Makar set single-season franchise records for assists and points by a defenseman and led NHL defensemen in power-play points (39). He’s a finalist for the fourth time in his five seasons and won in 2021-22.

Who are the finalists for the Calder Trophy (rookie)?

Finalists (in alphabetical order): Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber and New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes.

Who votes: Professional Hockey Writers Association

Bedard: He led or tied for first among rookies in goals (22), assists (39) and points (61) despite missing 14 games with a broken jaw. He also led rookies in shots on goal (206) and takeaways (47). He was first on the Blackhawks in assists and points and tied for first in goals. He had a five-point game on March 12 against Anaheim and scored a lacrosse-style “Michigan” goal on Dec. 23 against St. Louis.

Faber: He had eight goals, 39 assists and 47 points. He tied for first among rookie in assists and led rookies in average ice time (24:58) and blocked shots (150). He broke the Wild’s previous record for points by a rookie defenseman (Filip Kuba, 30 in 2000-01).

Hughes: He finished with nine goals, 38 assists and 47 points. He led all rookies with 21 power-play assists and 25 power-play points.

Who are the finalists for the Vezina Trophy (goaltender)?

Finalists (in alphabetical order): Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky, Vancouver Canucks’ Thatcher Demko and Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck.

Who votes: General managers

Bobrovsky (36-17-4, 2.37 goals-against average, .915 save percentage, six shutouts): He helped the Panthers finish with 110 points, second-most in franchise history. He had a 14-1-1 stretch from Dec. 23 to Feb. 20 as Florida rose from third place to first. Bobrovsky won the award in 2013 and 2017 while with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Demko (35-14-2, 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, five shutouts): He set career bests in wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts in just 51 starts as the Canucks won their first division title since 2012-13. He went 18-2-1 from Dec. 8 – Feb. 15. The first-time finalist missed five weeks down the stretch with a knee injury.

Hellebuyck (37-19-4, 2.39 goals-against average, .921 save percentage, five shutouts): He won the Jennings Trophy as the goaltender on the team allowing the fewest regular-season goals. Hellebuyck yielded three or fewer goals in 50 of his 60 appearances, including a pair of 10-game streaks with two or fewer goals against. He won the award in 2020 and was a finalist two other times, including last season.