The missing NHL award

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What is missing from the NHL awards? 

Most Vancouver hockey fans will be familiar with the Norris Trophy, after Quinn Hughes won it in 2024, given to the best defenseman in the league from that season. 

But there seems to be a serious problem with the Norris. Year after year, it seemingly always ends up going to whoever racks up the most points from the blue line. All offense, which feels like it’s only one half of the defenseman’s responsibilities.  

Another player Canucks fan should be familiar with is Chris Tanev, a stay-at-home defenseman who eats tough minutes, eats pucks for breakfast, and is usually at his best when you don’t notice him. This is likely the type of game that comes with the most miles put on a body, backed up by the fact that Tanev spent most of this year on the injured reserve list in Toronto. 

A player like Chris is exactly why the league needs a new award for the best defensive defenseman.  

I believe that a new defensive defenseman award would be great for highlighting players like Chris Tanev, Jacob Slavin and Miro Heiskanen. These type of players do not get enough attention for their work and effort because their offensive game just isn’t good enough or flashy enough to be in the conversation for the best all-around defenseman. It is important that this archetype of players get the recognition they deserve. 

Imagine you’ve stepped into this role at the NHL level. You’ve got the privilege of matching up against and shutting down guys like McDavid, McKinnon, or even Tkachuk. So, you’ve been skating hard all night, you’re gasping for air every time you hit the bench. You stink of sweat and damp hockey gear. You’ve been blocking shots all night and even took one to the face, possibly knocking a couple of teeth loose. Time to make a dentist appointment.  

And after all that, the guy that gets the most hype and respect from the fans is the guy who skated circles against lesser competition and got 2 secondary assists. 

Brutal. 

Putting yourself in those shoes, does it not become apparent just how much we need something to  

Some proposed names for the award include, the Larry Robinson or Rod Langway award. Robinson for his career +722 stat, and Langway for his solid positioning that rarely required frantic movement.  

I’m not asking the NHL  to reinvent the wheel, just to recognize a part of the game that’s been overlooked for years. 

Because the next time someone eats a 100 km/h one timer with their body in the dying seconds to save a game… that deserves more than just a quiet tap on the bench. 

It deserves a trophy.