Canadiens' Nick Suzuki Wins NHL's 2026 Selke Trophy, Cole Caufield Wins Lady Byng Trophy
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is being celebrated as the top two-way center in the NHL.
Suzuki was named the 2025-26 Selke Trophy winner on Friday over the Tampa Bay Lightning's Anthony Cirelli and the Colorado Avalanche's Brock Nelson.
Meanwhile, Suzuki's teammate Cole Caufield won the Lady Byng Trophy:
The Selke Trophy is awarded annually "to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game" as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Suzuki earned the distinction after contributing on the penalty kill while also leading Montreal skaters in power play ice time last season.
He led the Canadiens with 731 faceoff victories while winning 50.4 percent of his draws.
Suzuki finished the campaign as the first Canadiens player since 1986 to register a 100-point season. He also ranked third among Montreal forwards with 62 blocked shots, per Hockey Reference.
He tied for 10th in the NHL with a plus-37 rating, and the Canadiens outscored opponents 94-57 when he was on the ice at even strength.
The Habs spent 45.1 percent of their time with him on the ice in the offensive zone, above the league average of 42.4 percent, according to NHL Edge.
That dominance is a key reason the Canadiens finished the season with a 48-24-10 record and the team's highest wins total since 2015.
Suzuki is a first-time finalist for the award. He now joins Canadiens legends Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau, who each won multiple Selke Trophies, as the third honoree in franchise history.
