The James Norris Memorial Trophy, commonly known as the Norris Trophy, is presented yearly to the NHL's premier defenseman who showcases outstanding all-around skills throughout the season. Established in 1953–54 and named after James E. Norris, former owner of the Detroit Red Wings. It has been awarded 62 times to 26 players since its creation. At the conclusion of each season, members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association cast their votes to select the defenseman with the most outstanding performance in the regular season.
The votes are casted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association at the end of the regular season. Each member ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 point(s) system. The trophy is awarded at the NHL awards ceremony, conducted after the conclusion of the playoff stage.
James Norris Memorial Trophy Winner List
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is dedicated to James E. Norris, the owner of the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1932 to 1952. First awarded in the 1953–54 NHL season, it gained prominence with Bobby Orr winning a record eight consecutive times from 1968 to 1975. Other notable multiple winners include Doug Harvey and Nicklas Lidstrom (seven times each) and Ray Bourque (five times), who also secured a top-three spot in voting ten additional times.
Shown below are James Norris Memorial Trophy winners since 1953-54.
| Season | Winner | Team |
| 1953–54 | Red Kelly | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1954–55 | Doug Harvey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1955–56 | Doug Harvey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1956–57 | Doug Harvey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1957–58 | Doug Harvey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1958–59 | Tom Johnson | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1959–60 | Doug Harvey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1960–61 | Doug Harvey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1961–62 | Doug Harvey | New York Rangers |
| 1962–63 | Pierre Pilote | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1963–64 | Pierre Pilote | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1964–65 | Pierre Pilote | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1965–66 | Jacques Laperriere | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1966–67 | Harry Howell | New York Rangers |
| 1967–68 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1968–69 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1969–70 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1970–71 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1971–72 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1972–73 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1973–74 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1974–75 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1975–76 | Denis Potvin | New York Islanders |
| 1976–77 | Larry Robinson | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1977–78 | Denis Potvin | New York Islanders |
| 1978–79 | Denis Potvin | New York Islanders |
| 1979–80 | Larry Robinson | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1980–81 | Randy Carlyle | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 1981–82 | Doug Wilson | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 1982–83 | Rod Langway | Washington Capitals |
| 1983–84 | Rod Langway | Washington Capitals |
| 1984–85 | Paul Coffey | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1985–86 | Paul Coffey | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1986–87 | Ray Bourque | Boston Bruins |
| 1987–88 | Ray Bourque | Boston Bruins |
| 1988–89 | Chris Chelios | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1989–90 | Ray Bourque | Boston Bruins |
| 1990–91 | Ray Bourque | Boston Bruins |
| 1991–92 | Brian Leetch | New York Rangers |
| 1992–93 | Chris Chelios | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 1993–94 | Ray Bourque | Boston Bruins |
| 1994–95 | Paul Coffey | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1995–96 | Chris Chelios | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 1996–97 | Brian Leetch | New York Rangers |
| 1997–98 | Rob Blake | Los Angeles Kings |
| 1998–99 | Al MacInnis | St. Louis Blues |
| 1999–00 | Chris Pronger | St. Louis Blues |
| 2000–01 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2001–02 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2002–03 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2003–04 | Scott Niedermayer | New Jersey Devils |
| 2004–05 | Season cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout | |
| 2005–06 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2006–07 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2007–08 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2008–09 | Zdeno Chara | Boston Bruins |
| 2009–10 | Duncan Keith | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2010–11 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2011–12 | Erik Karlsson | Ottawa Senators |
| 2012–13 | P. K. Subban | Montreal Canadiens |
| 2013–14 | Duncan Keith | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2014–15 | Erik Karlsson | Ottawa Senators |
| 2015–16 | Drew Doughty | Los Angeles Kings |
| 2016–17 | Brent Burns | San Jose Sharks |
| 2017–18 | Victor Hedman | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2018–19 | Mark Giordano | Calgary Flames |
| 2019–20 | Roman Josi | Nashville Predators |
| 2020–21 | Adam Fox | New York Rangers |
| 2021–22 | Cale Makar | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2022–23 | Erik Karlsson | San Jose Sharks |
Players with most James Norris Memorial Trophies
The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded 62 times to 26 players since its creation in 1953-54. Out of those 26 players, many of them have won the trophy on multiple occasions. This elusive list includes Bobby Orr, who won the award eight times during his illustrious career.
A list players who have won the most James Norris Memorial Trophies are shown below:
| Players | Teams | No. of Trophies |
| Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 8 |
| Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings | 7 |
| Doug Harvey | Montreal Canadiens, New York Yankees | 7 |
| Ray Bourque | Boston Bruins | 5 |
FAQ's on James Norris Memorial Trophy Winners
A. The James Norris Memorial Trophy, also known as the Norris Trophy, is an annual award presented to the NHL's premier defenseman who demonstrates exceptional all-around skills during the regular season.
A. The trophy is named after James E. Norris, the former owner of the Detroit Red Wings and a significant figure in NHL history.
A. The Norris Trophy was first awarded after the 1953–54 NHL season.
A. Bobby Orr holds the record for winning the Norris Trophy eight consecutive times from 1968 to 1975.
A. The Boston Bruins boast the highest number of Norris Trophy winners with 14, followed by the Montreal Canadiens with 12.
