Whenever you compare elite defensemen, the first thing you often look at is how many Norris Trophies they have. The Norris Trophy is the benchmark for an elite defenseman, similar to what Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux did with scoring titles and Art Ross Trophies. Bobby Orr, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Ray Bourque did the same with the Norris Trophies—winning them all. This left many great defensemen without the recognition they deserve. There are so many great defensemen who not only would have won one Norris Trophy, but could have won multiple, if only they had played in different eras. With Lidstrom, Orr, and Bourque robbing so many different defensemen of their Norris Trophies, I thought I’d give them their well-deserved recognition.

Brad Park
Either you’ve never heard of Brad Park, or you know him as the guy who kept losing to Bobby Orr in the Norris Trophy race. Park finished as a finalist seven times. That’s right, seven. He lost to Orr five times and to Dennis Potvin twice. Park was one of the best two-way defensemen ever; he could skate and move the puck very well. He scored at least 20 goals three times, and his season-high in points was 82. But unfortunately, he was like the Washington Generals are to the Harlem Globetrotters,always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Scott Stevens
You know Stevens as the hard-hitting shutdown defenseman for the New Jersey Devils. Stevens captained the Devils to three Stanley Cups, and he won a Conn Smythe in 2000. Stevens was one of the best defensemen in the 2000s, with five seasons of at least 60 points, including a 78-point campaign in 1994, which is still the Devils’ record for points in a season by a defenseman. Stevens finished top five in Norris Trophy voting seven times and was a runner-up twice.

Larry Murphy
Murphy is one of the best offensive defensemen of all time. Out the gate, Murphy set the record for most points in a season by a rookie defenseman. He scored at least 20 goals and 70 points five times. Murphy finished his career fifth all-time in defensemen scoring and sixth all-time in goals. You would think with those accolades he would have a couple of Norris Trophies, right? Unfortunately for Murphy, he played in an era with Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey, who took all the hardware that Murphy would have won. Murphy finished third in Norris voting twice.

Mark Howe
Mr. Hockey’s son was quite the defenseman himself. Howe was a great all-around defenseman who excelled in every situation. Five-on-five, short-handed, and on the power play, Howe was great at them all. He was the anchor on the back end for the Philadelphia Flyers and took them to three Stanley Cup finals. He scored 20 goals three times and hit the 80-point plateau twice. But Howe finished as a three-time runner-up in Norris voting, and that’s why he’s often forgotten in talks regarding the best defensemen of the 80s.

Phil Housley 

This man simply put up points year after year. Housley’s numbers are mind-blowing, six 20-goal seasons, including a 30-goal season, and in 1993 he recorded 97 points. Housley finished his career fourth all-time in scoring and goals by a defenseman. However, the closest he ever came to a Norris Trophy was a third-place finish in 1992.

That’s my list. Is there anyone I missed? Let me know in the comments below.