The Frank J. Selke Trophy is annually presented by the National Hockey League to the forward who showcases exceptional defensive skills on the ice. Established in 1978, the trophy is named after Frank J. Selke, former player and executive in the NHL.
The members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the best forward at the end of the NHL regular season. Factors like defensive skills, proficiency in penalty killing, face-offs, and overall defensive abilities are considered in the voting process. The award is a significant achievement for a forward and serves as a recognition for his impact on the game.
Frank J. Selke Trophy Winners List-
The trophy has been awarded 45 times to 27 different players since its inception. Bob Gainey of the Montreal Canadiens was the first player to receive the Selke Trophy and also secured the award four times in a row (1977-81). Additionally, the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins share the record of winning the most trophies, with 7 apiece.
Patrice Bergeron has won the most Selke Trophies, with 6 wins till now in his career. He is also the most recent winner of the Trohpy (2022-23 season).
A list of all Frank J. Selke Trophy winners is presented below:
| Seasons | Winners | Teams | Positions |
| 1977–78 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | LW |
| 1978–79 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | LW |
| 1979–80 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | LW |
| 1980–81 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | LW |
| 1981–82 | Steve Kasper | Boston Bruins | C |
| 1982–83 | Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | C |
| 1983–84 | Doug Jarvis | Washington Capitals | C |
| 1984–85 | Craig Ramsay | Buffalo Sabres | LW |
| 1985–86 | Troy Murray | Chicago Blackhawks | C |
| 1986–87 | Dave Poulin | Philadelphia Flyers | C |
| 1987–88 | Guy Carbonneau | Montreal Canadiens | C |
| 1988–89 | Guy Carbonneau | Montreal Canadiens | C |
| 1989–90 | Rick Meagher | St. Louis Blues | C |
| 1990–91 | Dirk Graham | Chicago Blackhawks | RW |
| 1991–92 | Guy Carbonneau | Montreal Canadiens | C |
| 1992–93 | Doug Gilmour | Toronto Maple Leafs | C |
| 1993–94 | Sergei Fedorov | Detroit Red Wings | C |
| 1994–95 | Ron Francis | Pittsburgh Penguins | C |
| 1995–96 | Sergei Fedorov | Detroit Red Wings | C |
| 1996–97 | Michael Peca | Buffalo Sabres | C |
| 1997–98 | Jere Lehtinen | Dallas Stars | RW |
| 1998–99 | Jere Lehtinen | Dallas Stars | RW |
| 1999–00 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | C |
| 2000–01 | John Madden | New Jersey Devils | C |
| 2001–02 | Michael Peca | New York Islanders | C |
| 2002–03 | Jere Lehtinen | Dallas Stars | RW |
| 2003–04 | Kris Draper | Detroit Red Wings | C |
| 2005–06 | Rod Brind'Amour | Carolina Hurricanes | C |
| 2006–07 | Rod Brind'Amour | Carolina Hurricanes | C |
| 2007–08 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings | C |
| 2008–09 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings | C |
| 2009–10 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings | C |
| 2010–11 | Ryan Kesler | Vancouver Canucks | C |
| 2011–12 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | C |
| 2012–13 | Jonathan Toews | Chicago Blackhawks | C |
| 2013–14 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | C |
| 2014–15 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | C |
| 2015–16 | Anze Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings | C |
| 2016–17 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | C |
| 2017–18 | Anze Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings | C |
| 2018–19 | Ryan O'Reilly | St. Louis Blues | C |
| 2019–20 | Sean Couturier | Philadelphia Flyers | C |
| 2020–21 | Aleksander Barkov | Florida Panthers | C |
| 2021–22 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | C |
| 2022–23 | Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | C |
Note: There was no winner during the 2005-05 season due to the NHL lockout.
Players with the most Frank J. Selke Trophies
Patrice Bergeron leads the table here with 6 Frank J. Selke Trophy wins. Other notable players to have won this award the the most times include Bob Gainey, Pavel Datsyuk, Jete Lehtinen, and Guy Carbonneau.
A fair representation of players with most Frank J. Selke Trophies are presented below:
| Players | Teams | No of Trophies |
| Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | 6 |
| Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens | 4 |
| Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings | 3 |
| Jere Lehtinen | Dallas Stars | 3 |
| Guy Carbonneau | Montreal Canadiens | 3 |
FAQ's On List of NHL Frank J. Selke Trophy Winners
A. Patrice Bergeron has won the most Selke Awards in history and is also the most recent winner of the Selke Award ( 2022-23 season).
A. Bob Gainey of the Montreal Canadiens was the first player to receive the Selke Trophy. Additionally, he secured the award four times in a row (1977-81).
A. The Frank J. Selke Trophy was introduced in the 1977–78 NHL season to honor Frank J. Selke, an influential figure in ice hockey and former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
A. The Frank J. Selke Trophy is annually presented by the National Hockey League to the forward who showcased exceptional defensive skills on the ice.
A. The Selke Trophy was first presented after the conclusion of the 1977-78 NHL season.
