Zdeno Chara named as Norris Finalist

by Stanley Cup of Chowder on Apr 23, 2009 1:26 PM EDT

The NHL announced the three finalists for the Norris Trophy, given to the league's best defenseman. Zdeno Chara, Mike Green, and Niklas Lidstrom are all in the running for the award.

Zdeno Chara

#33 / Defenseman / Boston Bruins

Height: 6-9

Weight: 255

Born: Mar 18, 1977

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Zdeno Chara	80	19	31	50	23	95	11	0	3	2	216	8.8

Mike Green

#52 / Defenseman / Washington Capitals

Height: 6-2

Weight: 208

Born: Oct 12, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Mike Green	68	31	42	73	24	68	18	1	4	1	243	12.8

Nicklas Lidstrom

#5 / Defenseman / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 6-1

Weight: 189

Born: Apr 28, 1970

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Nicklas Lidstrom	78	16	43	59	31	30	10	0	4	0	180	8.9

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Zdeno Chara has been my favourite defenseman since Scott Stevens retired from the NHL. I’d like to see Chara win the Norris. Lidstrom has already won it, like, seventeen times and someone forgot to tell Mike Green that most defenseman are actually expected to, you know, play defense, so in my mind Chara is really the only nominee worthy of the award. Plus his name is really cool and he’s the tallest non-basketball-playing athlete I’ve ever heard of.

by kellyn on Apr 23, 2009 8:18 PM EDT reply actions

You could make a great argument fro Chara, but I think it will be Green that wins the Norris.

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by Stanley Cup of Chowder on Apr 23, 2009 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Who is it exactly that awards the Norris Trophy? Like, is it one of the awards that is voted on by the media, like the Hart, for example, or is the winner chosen by the GMs, like the Vezina is (at least I think the GMs choose who wins the Vezina – since Marty isn’t in the running this year I’m pulling for Timmy Thomas to get it, and as an American I also want him to get the starting job in nets for Team USA for the Olympics)? That’s part of the reason I’ve never really liked the NHL Awards, though, because it always leaves me feeling like the guy who truly deserved the trophy didn’t get it. Zdeno Chara has probably been the most dominant defenseman in the NHL physically and defensively for years, but Lidstrom has won six of the last seven Norris Trophies, so if Chara wins it this season it almost feels like they’re giving it to him for all of those seasons he deserved to win it but they gave it Lidstrom instead.

by kellyn on Apr 24, 2009 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Sorry – I didn’t see you had explained the voting process to someone else until I already posted my comment.

by kellyn on Apr 24, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions

for all my years of watching the game

I must confess, I am ignorant to the nomination/selection process for the annual awards. Is it voted on by owners, players, selected by league committee, etc.?

I’d agree with kellyn that Chara and Lidstrom fit the mold more for what I think a defenseman should be; a steadying blueline force that controls the flow of the game at both ends of the ice. When either of those guys step on the ice, you can see the dynamic of the shift change. Green is a super talented player, but he strikes me more of an upgraded version of Sandis Ozolinsh; his +/- is great, but given his higher point total (in significantly fewer games!) than the other two it also reflects that he gives up a lot more defensively than the other two to get those goals.

But really, I couldn’t argue with any of them getting it. All great players.

by jctsai12 on Apr 24, 2009 1:56 AM EDT reply actions

It is voted on by the writers in the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Each writer submits their top 5 defensemen in ranked order. You get more points for a first place vote then and a second place vote and so on and those points are added up and the player with the most points wins the award. There isn’t another vote after the finalists have been announced. These are just the top 3 vote getters.

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by Stanley Cup of Chowder on Apr 24, 2009 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions