Panthers set team attendance record, fueled by another deep Stanley Cup playoff run

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) is congratulated after scoring a goal during the third period of Game 2 against the Boston Bruins of a second-round series of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

 LS

NEW YORK (AP) — Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, the league announced Saturday night.

Barkov is a two-time Selke winner after also finishing first in voting for the award in 2021. He was a big part of the Panthers allowing the fewest goals this season and won 57.3% of his faceoffs, ranking ninth among players with at least 50 games and 500 attempts.

The 28-year-old centre from Finland received 156 of 194 first-place votes from members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and was listed on all but two ballots.

In the playoffs, Barkov has led Florida to a second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference final.

---

AP NHL:

The ºÃÉ«tv Press. All rights reserved.