Avs' Makar wins 2nd Norris as top defenseman

Colorado Avalanche offensive-minded defenseman Cale Makar is the recipient of the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the 2nd clip successful his career, the NHL announced Wednesday.

The grant is presented "to the defence subordinate who demonstrates passim the play the top all-round quality successful the position," arsenic selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

"Any clip you get recognized for thing similar this, it's precise cool," Makar, 26, said. "It's precise peculiar to beryllium capable to (win) this a 2nd time. To person the radical of guys that we did -- it seems cliche to say, but it's genuinely a squad award.

"We had a amusive twelvemonth and it'll beryllium much amusive hopefully continuing, but this one's for them."

Makar learned that helium won the grant during a caller play outing with household and friends successful Calgary, his hometown.

He joins Hall of Fame members Bobby Orr (eight times), Denis Potvin and Paul Coffey (three times), and Rod Langway (two times) arsenic players to triumph aggregate Norris Trophies earlier turning 27. Current Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson besides won doubly earlier his 27th birthday.

Makar took location 176 of the 191 first-place votes and recorded 1,861 voting points to triumph the Norris Trophy for the archetypal clip since 2021-22. He has been a finalist for the grant successful 5 of his archetypal six NHL seasons.

Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets received 13 first-place votes and finished with 1,266 points, portion Vancouver Canucks skipper Quinn Hughes had 2 first-place votes and 918 points. Hughes was seeking to go the archetypal repetition victor of the grant since Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings captured 3 successful a enactment from 2005-06 done 2007-08.

Makar opened the play with a 13-game constituent streak. He led each NHL defensemen successful goals (30), assists (62) and points (92) this season.