via the NHL PR department,
The NHL Stats and Information team reminisces on memorable moments and achievements of the past decade. The nine-part countdown features a daily theme, with the focus shifting to “The Defensemen” who account for the past 14 Norris Trophies, along with the highest-scoring blueliner in 2019-20.
Nicklas Lidstrom
Lidstrom ended 2010-11 by claiming his seventh and final Norris Trophy, one shy of Bobby Orr’s record of eight. Lidstrom retired in 2011-12 after finishing among the top three in Norris voting 11 times over 20 NHL seasons.
Zdeno Chara
After winning the last Norris Trophy of the 2000s (in 2008-09), Chara led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup win in 2011, set the NHL record at the Hardest Shot competition in 2012 (108.8 mph), guided the Bruins back to the Final in 2019 and joined a short list of players to skate 22 NHL seasons.
P.K. Subban
Known for his charisma on and off the ice, Subban made his NHL debut in February 2010 and helped the Canadiens reach the third round of the playoffs three months later, all before age 21. In 2013, he became the first Montreal player to claim the Norris Trophy since 1989 (Chris Chelios).
Drew Doughty
Doughty logged more time on ice than any other skater during the 2010s, entering the final five days of 2019 with 22,830 minutes and 29 seconds over the course of 853 games (regular season and playoffs combined). He won two Stanley Cups and one Norris Trophy along the way.
Duncan Keith
Keith finished the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs with an average time on ice of 31:07 – the second-highest on record (min. 20 GP) – en route to becoming the second defenseman in NHL history to score the Cup-clinching goal and win the Conn Smythe Trophy in the same year (Bobby Orr did it twice).
Brent Burns
Burns, who made the jump to forward on occasion, enters the final five days of 2019 with the most goals among defensemen over the past decade (167). He set a new career high in points six times during the 2010s – including three seasons with 75+ points – while helping San Jose to its first Final (2016) and claiming his first Norris Trophy (2016-17).
Erik Karlsson
Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, led defensemen in assists and points during the 2010s, aided by six seasons of 60+ points including five straight campaigns when he at least shared the Senators’ scoring lead (2013-14 to 2017-18) – the only defenseman ever to do so for any NHL team.
Victor Hedman
The only Lightning player ever to be a finalist for the Norris Trophy, Hedman (3x) won the award in 2017-18 after sharing the NHL lead in goals among defensemen (17). That season also saw him become the franchise leader in goals among blueliners, adding to a list that already included No. 1 ranks for assists, points and games played by Tampa Bay defensemen.
Mark Giordano
Giordano was a near-unanimous selection for the Norris Trophy in 2018-19 (165 of 171 first-place votes), becoming the fourth player in NHL history to win the award at age 35 or older – joining Hockey Hall of Fame members Nicklas Lidstrom (4x), Doug Harvey (3x) and Al MacInnis.
John Carlson
Carlson, who leads NHL defensemen in assists and points since the start of last season, enters his final three games of the decade with 451 points and by far the best plus-minus rating among the top five defensive scorers this decade (+99).
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