For the first time in his career, Mark Stone is a finalist for the Selke Trophy.
The NHL announced the Vegas Golden Knights star will be one of the three up for the award at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 19. The two other finalists are four-time winner Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, and St Louis Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly.
This is sure to be the first of many times throughout his career that Stone will likely be nominated for the award. The Selke Trophy is awarded to the best defensive forward every season. Not only did Stone put up a career high in points with 73 in 77 games, but he was also amazing defensively. His high-end two-way style of play was one of the biggest reasons why Vegas traded for him. Stone was always one of the strongest defensive presences night in and night out.
It was easy to tell just how strong Stone was defensively. He led the entire NHL in takeaways with 122. Stone’s 71 blocked shots during the regular season were the sixth highest total by all forwards this season.
If Stone wins, it will be the first major NHL award of his career. The winner of the Selke Trophy last year was Anze Kopitar. Kopitar and Bergeron have been the recipients of the award over the past 5 years.