Bergeron, Eriksson Both Lose To Kings' Kopitar At NHL Awards
BOSTON (CBS) -- In a bid to win his fourth Frank J. Selke Trophy in five seasons, Bruins center Patrice Bergeron had to settle for second place.
Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar won the award, given annually to the NHL's best defensive forward, for the first time in his career. The player once described as "Bergeron West" received the trophy Wednesday night at the NHL's annual awards show in Las Vegas.
Bergeron lost his bid to become just the second four-time winner of the award after winning it in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Bergeron received 996 votes to Kopitar's 1,145 from the Professional Hockey Writers Association for the award.
Here's a statement from the NHL on Kopitar's win:
Kopitar led all NHL forwards in total ice time (1,690:12), an average of 20:52 per game, on the club that ranked third in the NHL in team defense, allowing an average of 2.34 goals a contest. He ranked fifth and seventh League-wide in total faceoffs and faceoff wins with 1,776 and 950, respectively, setting career highs in both categories. He placed second in the NHL in plus-minus (+34) and was the League's third-ranked forward in the team puck possession metric SAT (shot attempts differential), as the Kings registered 332 more shot attempts than they allowed when Kopitar was on the ice while each team had five skaters per side.
Kopitar also won his first Lady Byng Trophy, beating out Bruins winger Loui Eriksson, who finished third in voting with 388 votes behind Kopitar (817) and Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (475). The trophy is annually given to "the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."