By Canadian Press

Flyers centre Sean Couturier wins Selke Trophy as NHL’s best defensive forward

Sep 10, 2020 | 7:51 PM

EDMONTON — Philadelphia Flyers centre Sean Couturier has been awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward.

Couturier was named on 163 of the 170 ballots, including 117 first-place selections, for 1,424 voting points, ahead of second-place Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins.

Bergeron was a Selke finalist for an unprecedented ninth consecutive year and with a record-tying four Selke wins.

Ryan O’Reilly of the St. Louis Blues, the 2018-19 Selke Trophy winner, finished third in voting.

Couturier had 22 goals and 37 assists in 69 regular-season games in the 2019-20 season.

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He led the NHL by winning 59.6 per cent of his faceoffs.

Couturier was consistent throughout the ice, winning 59.5 per cent of his faceoffs in the defensive zone, 60.4 per cent in the neutral zone and 59.1 per cent in the offensive zone.

No other NHL player topped 58 per cent in all three zones.

Couturier also led all Philadelphia skaters with a plus-21 defensive rating while leading Flyers forwards in total time on ice (1,368:23) and shorthanded time on ice (140:29).

The 27-year-old Couturier is the third player to win the award with the Flyers, following Bobby Clarke (1982-83) and Dave Poulin (1986-87).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020.

The Canadian Press