The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey Leagueforward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season.1 It has been awarded 30 times to 20 different players since the 1977-78 NHL season. The current holder is Pavel Datsyuk.
The first recipient was Bob Gainey of the Canadiens, who won the trophy the first four years it was given, and to date he has won it more times than any other player.2 Players from the Montreal Canadiens have won the trophy the most times, with 7 times, yet only two different players won it with the Canadiens. Gainey won it four times and Guy Carbonneau won it three times. Players from the Detroit Red Wings, Sergei Fedorov (twice), Steve Yzerman, Kris Draper, and Pavel Datsyuk have combined for five Selke award trophies.1
There has been only one instance in which a Selke Trophy winner was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy for Most Valuable Player, which was when Sergei Fedorov captured both trophies during the 1993-94 NHL season.3 There has not been an instance in which the Art Ross Trophy winner has been awarded the Selke Trophy, though Fedorov finished second in regular season scoring in 1994,3 while Art Ross Trophy runner-up Joe Sakic finished second in Selke voting in 2001.4
