With awards season in full swing, the NHL announced the winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy on Friday.
The award, which is given annually to the “best defensive forward in the game,” was won by Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki for the 2025-26 season.
Sam Reinhart, a perennial candidate for this honor, finished 16th in the Zoelke Trophy voting, marking his fifth straight season receiving the vote.
While three-time Soelke Trophy-winning captain Aleksander Barkov missed the entire NHL season due to injury, Reinhart was able to bring an elite defenseman to each shift for the Florida Panthers despite not having an equally talented running mate by his side.
In addition to his task of shutting down the opposing team’s top offensive players, Reinhardt finished the season ranking No. 1 on the Panthers in shorthanded goals (3).
Out of 198 votes cast by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, Reinhardt received one vote for first place, one vote for second place, five votes for third place, six votes for fourth place, and seven votes for fifth place.
Last season, Reinhardt became a finalist for the Soelke Trophy for the first time, finishing second behind Barkov.
Reinhardt, a two-way threat, also leads the Panthers in goals (125) over the past three seasons.
Reinhardt was known as much for her sportsmanship as her skill on both sides of the ice, finishing 11th in the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy voting. This trophy is awarded every year to a player judged to have demonstrated the best in sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and a high level of playing ability.
Also voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield won the award for the 2025-26 season, with Reinhart receiving two votes for first place, three votes for second place, five votes for third place, and nine votes for fourth and fifth place.
Reinhart, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and mainstay for the Panthers, is under contract through the 2031-32 season.
