Avalanche's Cale Makar Wins 2024-25 Norris Trophy as NHL's Best Defenseman

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar topped off his 30-goal season with a Norris Trophy win.

The NHL announced on Wednesday that Makar took home his second career award as the league's top defenseman after an offensively dominant 2024-25 campaign.

Makar previously won the Norris Trophy, alongside the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe, in 2022.

He finished third for the Norris the last two seasons and then won it again this spring after recording 30 goals and 62 assists for 92 points in 80 games.

That included 12 power-play goals and 35 power-play points, good for first among defensemen this season, to help the Avalanche finish the campaign with one of the top eight power plays in the league.

Makar is the ninth NHL defenseman, and first since Mike Green in 2009, to score 30 goals in a season.

He is also the first defenseman to record back-to-back 90-point campaigns since Paul Coffey and Al MacInnis in 1991.

Having spent significant time on the penalty kill, power play and at even strength, Makar averaged 25:43 of ice time during the season. That ranked third only to Norris Trophy runners-up Zach Werenski and Quinn Hughes for the most among NHL skaters.

Makar is signed for two more seasons with the Avalanche. His offensive contributions will continue to be key to the team's hopes of contending for another Cup.

Hughes, who won the award last season, finished as a finalist after joining Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey as the fourth defenseman in NHL history to record at least 60 assists in four straight seasons. Werenski earned the first Norris Trophy nomination of his career after setting Columbus Blue Jackets single-season defenseman records with 23 goals, 59 assists and 82 points.