With the Stanley Cup Playoffs moving along, the NHL has started the process of announcing the finalists for each of its major awards for the 2024-25 season.
On Tuesday, the league announced the finalists for the Norris Trophy, which honors the top defenseman. The three finalists for the prestigious award are Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks).
Hughes is the reigning Norris Trophy winner and followed that up by leading the Canucks in points (76) and assists (60) during the regular season. He also led the Canucks in scoring by a 26-point margin and only Erik Karlsson led his team in points by more when he led the San Jose Sharks by 34 points during the 2022-23 campaign. It also marked the fourth consecutive season in which Hughes reached the 60-point plateau, and also became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to achieve such a feat.
Meanwhile, Makar led all NHL defensemen in points (92), goals (30), and assists (62). The Avalanche blue-liner previously won the Norris Trophy for his performance during the 2021-22 season. On the other hand, Werenski registered a career-high in points (82), goals (23), and assists (59), while becoming the first Blue Jackets defenseman to lead the team in scoring. Werenski would become the first Columbus player in franchise history to win the Norris Trophy if he takes home the award.
The remainder of the NHL Awards will be announced on a daily basis through mid-May. The 2025 NHL Awards will take place in June 2025, but an exact date has yet to be announced.
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position.”
- Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets)
- Darcy Kuemper (Los Angeles Kings)
- Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Norris Trophy
The Norris Trophy is given to “the defensive player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.”
- Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks)
- Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
- Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
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