MONTREAL — Nick Suzuki, Frank J. Selke Trophy winner.
We’re not sure the London, Ont., native ever envisioned this but he adopted a defensive conscience from an early age. He grew up idolizing Patrice Bergeron and Sidney Crosby, and he has now been officially recognized as a player just like them after he was surprised with the award by teammate Cole Caufield in a video released on Friday.
Suzuki has certainly played more in their image than in that of the other two Montreal Canadiens to have previously captured this award.
It was essentially created at an NHL board of governors meeting in 1977 to recognize Bob Gainey as the hardest forward to play against in the world, and the six-foot-two, 190-pound winger honoured that initiative by grabbing hold of it and not letting go through its first four years on offer (1978-1981).
Guy Carbonneau followed in Gainey’s footsteps to win it in 1988, 1989 and 1992.
Carbonneau was a more prolific scorer than Gainey, topping out at 57 points five years before first capturing the Selke. Gainey never produced more than 47 points in a season, which is 54 less than Suzuki posted this season.
The only player to have won this trophy with more points than Suzuki’s 101 was the one Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis referenced to describe how remarkable it was to see his captain develop into one of the most complete players in hockey.
“I remember (Sergei) Fedorov winning the Selke (in 1994 and 1996), and he was an offensive player too,” St. Louis said after Suzuki became the first Canadien to top 100 points since his childhood hero, Mats Naslund, did it in 1986.
“I think it takes an honest game, and that’s what Suzy brings.”
Fedorov brought that honest game throughout his Hall-of-Fame career.
He had 120 points the first year he won the Selke, 107 when he captured it two years later, and he was so reliable defensively that he was even used as a defenceman at one point. He set the bar for modern Selke winners, with players who could score at a point-per-game pace — or just beneath or above it — like Steve Yzerman, Pavel Datsyuk, Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar, Ryan O’Reilly, Aleksander Barkov and Bergeron following in his footsteps.
Crosby has never finished as a finalist but received votes for the Selke in 10 different seasons and is widely recognized as the most complete player of his generation.
Now, Suzuki, who’s turning 27 in August, has officially joined the new generation’s hierarchy in the category.
“I take a lot of pride in just playing the right way and not really worrying about points,” Suzuki said after scoring points 100 and 101 in Game 81.
He played 22 shifts that night including on the power play and penalty kill, won a matchup against the New York Islanders’ top line and top defence pairing, went 50 per cent on face-offs, and helped the Canadiens earn a 4-1 victory. And that was just a run-of-the-mill performance from him when measured against his best of the season.
Suzuki had dominant games against the hardest defensive players and top guns all the same, consistently winning his matchups.
That consistency has defined Suzuki as player — he never went more than two consecutive games without a point — and as a person.
“Every day is kind of the same for him, and boy he’s quite a player,” Canadiens president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton said on a recent episode of Spittin’ Chiclets. “He’s really emerged as a star player in this league, and he’s definitely our leader… It’s nice to have a guy that’s so good but yet never rattled. You’re down a goal, you’re up a goal, it’s always the same. He’s got the same attitude — ‘I’m going to take this game over’ — and it’s pretty special. Since I’ve been here, this guy’s gotten better every year. And it’s hard to say that when you get 100 points and you’re like, ‘What’s he going to do next,' but he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. It’s pretty crazy.”
We’re not sure Suzuki even dreamed up what he was able to accomplish this season.
But this resounding win of a trophy he’s always strived for should only inspire self-confidence for a player who’s just two years into his prime. He was given a first-place vote by 151 of 198 voters from the Professional Hockey Writers Association and finished with 1,726 voting points — 1,259 ahead of runner-up Anthony Cirelli and 1,320 ahead of finalist Brock Nelson. That’s enough reason to believe he’ll continue contending for this trophy for years to come.
Cole Caufield wins Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Caufield was the one to surprise linemate Suzuki with the Selke, but not before Suzuki shocked him by handing him the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability” by the PHWA.
The 25-year-old didn’t see it coming after finishing second in the NHL with 51 goals, setting a new career high with 88 points, and accumulating only 14 penalty minutes despite averaging 18:11 in ice time per game.
“It’s really special obviously,” Caufield said after receiving the award in front of all his teammates in the Canadiens' dressing room. “This is pretty sweet. I didn’t expect this. This doesn’t happen without you guys, everybody in this room, can’t thank you guys enough.”
Caufield became the first Canadiens player to win the award since Naslund in 1987. Toe Blake, who won it in 1945, was the first Canadien to take it after it was conceived in 1924.
Caufield narrowly edged out Kopitar in the race, accumulating 776 voting points to Kopitar’s 602, with Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson finishing just beneath both at 585 points.
For Caufield, a native of Stevens Point, Wisc., to be honoured at the same time as Suzuki was particularly special for St. Louis to see.
“Suzy’s a little bit older, but he’s been a great role model for Cole and took him under his wing,” the coach told the NHL. “They share so many things, but I think to share this experience, this day, I think it’s something they’ll remember.”
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