BHN Daily: Bruins Captain Bergeron Robbed Of Another Selke Trophy

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron was robbed of what would’ve been a record fifth Selke Trophy. To say otherwise is to simply be as out of touch as the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association that somehow voted Aleksander Barkov ahead of the four-time winner, Bergeron.

Despite Bergeron leading fellow Selke finalists Mark Stone and Aleksander Barkov in five of the eight categories used for voting, it was Barkov who was addressing the media Friday night after winning his first-ever Selke Trophy. Did the Professional Hockey Writers Association simply want another first-time winner for the Selke Trophy? Obviously, stats and the eyeball test that Bergeron once again aced did not matter, and have this PHWA member wondering how much some of my union brothers and sisters actually watch teams and players that they don’t cover?

Take your pick for 2021 Selke… I think I know who I'd choose. pic.twitter.com/lYmv40YCBm

— Tucker Boynton (@Tucker_TnL) June 6, 2021

Barkov is now the third straight first-time winner after Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier won it in 2020 and St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly took the hardware home in 2019. In the five seasons prior, no one not named Patrice Bergeron or Anze Kopitar was awarded the Selke. Bergeron won back-to-back Selke Awards in 2014 and 2015, and also won in 2017. Kopitar won in 2016 and 2018. 

In the eyes of this puck scribe, Bergeron’s longtime linemate and teammate Brad Marchand got the Rodney Dangerfield treatment again as well. Speaking to numerous NHL scouts, management and insiders, throughout the season, there was hope that the voting bias against wingers being awarded the Selke Trophy would start to dwindle but even though Marchand actually got two first-place votes he finished ninth in voting. That means former NHLer Jere Lehtinen is still the last winger to win the award, back in 2003.

Here’s the final voting:

Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th) 

1. Aleksander Barkov, FLA 780 (62-16-7-3-4) 
2. Patrice Bergeron, BOS 522 (15-30-24-11-9) 
3. Mark Stone, VGK 463 (11-26-23-16-8) 
4. Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN 193 (4-6-12-10-21) 
5. Ryan O’Reilly, STL 175 (2-8-12-10-9) 
6. Phillip Danault, MTL 138 (1-5-4-20-13) 
7. Joe Pavelski, DAL 59 (0-4-3-4-4) 
8. Jordan Staal, CAR 43 (1-0-4-3-4) 
9. Brad Marchand, BOS 39 (2-0-1-3-5) 
10. Mitchell Marner, TOR 33 (0-0-3-4-6) 

Now onto the rest of your BHN Daily Links:

This past week was full of memories and stories from the 2011 Stanley Cup Final as this past Tuesday marked ten years since the Boston Bruins hoisted their sixth Stanley Cup. Even though Calgary Flames winger Milan Lucic doesn’t play for the Boston Bruins anymore, he made sure his brothers from that magical run know that they are forever in his heart. (BHN)

Stanley Cup Semifinals

As colleague Tom Callahan wrote, Marc-Andre Fleury’s epic gaffe wasn’t the sole reason the Knights won’t be entering Game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens up 2-1. (Vegas Hockey Now)

In case you missed it, or like this veteran reporter that’s seen his fair share of weird and crazy plays, still can’t believe what happened at the Bell Centre in the Habs’ improbable 3-2 overtime win, here you go:

This must have felt like Déjà vu 17 years later for Fleury!

If not for Carey Price, the Habs wouldn’t have even sniffed overtime! (Montreal Gazette)

The theater that is the Stanley Cup playoffs was on full display even before Fleury’s miscue as Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme tested positive for COVID19 and assistant Luke Richardson made an impromptu NHL head coaching debut. (TSN)

Is this the most resilient Canadiens team since 1993? (Sportsnet)

The New York Islanders don’t want Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight to be the last NHL game ever at the Nassau Coliseum. To ensure there will be another, the Isles will need to do what they did against the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the East Division Final. (NYI Hockey Now)

Will Islanders head coach Barry Trotz make any lineup changes for Game 4? (NYI Hockey Now)

Just call the Lightning the road warriors of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Lightning Insider)

National Hockey Now

With the NHL returning to its normal conference and division format next season, it’s not too early to start looking at what the Atlantic Division will look like. (Detroit Hockey Now)

What do the San Jose Sharks see in Jonathan Dahlin that the rest of the NHL can’t seem to? (San Jose Hockey Now)

NHL

The NHL Trade market continues to feature Jack Eichel rumors and it appears the Chicago Blakchawks are the latest team to enter the sweepstakes for the disgruntled Buffalo Sabres captain. (NY Post)

Are the Toronto Maple Leafs about to make a push to acquire former Boston bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton? (Sportsnet)

Former Boston Bruins defenseman Zach Trotman announced his retirement on Friday night at the age of 30. In a heartfelt and grateful Instagram post, Trotman admitted that the injuries sustained over 91 NHL games and 267 in the American Hockey League had taken their toll. Trotman was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the seventh round (207th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. 

Trotman made his NHL debut with the Bruins when he played two games during the 2013-14 season. He would go onto play 67 games with the Bruins and 150 for the Providence Bruins before leaving for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Good luck Zach! (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

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