Dickinson deserves Selke Trophy votes after a very impressive breakout season, but he doesn't consider himself a late bloomer at age 28.

Jason Dickinson had a very impressive two-way season for the Chicago Blackhawks, but it resulted from a mindset change rather than being a late bloomer age 28.

“Individually I thought I did have a good year," Dickinson said. "Stuck true to myself and played fairly consistent.”

Dickinson probably won’t be one of the three finalists for the Selke Trophy when they're announced on Sunday, May 5, but he had the right kind of year to be considered. The award is presented annually “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”

Dickinson was often mentioned as a Selke candidate in Chicago, however. “It’s flattering. It’s fantastic," he said. "But individual success is very minimal to me.”

Dickinson, a Dallas Stars first-round draft pick (29th overall) in 2013, just completed his eighth full NHL season. 

Offensive expectations were not high for Dickinson as he had never scored 10 goals in a season and had hit 30 points just once. In 2023-24, he broke out for 22 goals and 35 points, a massive jump and large contribution offensively considering he tied for the team lead in goals with Connor Bedard.

Dickinson also was the Blackhawks' go-to shutdown forward along with Joey Anderson.

The Georgetown, Ontario native was one of just two Chicago forwards who played at least 20 games and finished the season as a plus player, at plus-4. On a team that had a minus-111 goals differential, that made it even more impressive for the underrated center to accomplish what he did.

Dickinson's mindset may be one of the reasons why he is very strong defensively. He is willing to put the team ahead of himself and do what needs to be done to win. “I want to win hockey games and that’s what is on my mind first and foremost," he said.

Playing a strong game defensively doesn’t always earn players the same money and goes under-appreciated sometimes, but defense is just as important as offense, and Dickinson showed that this season with his numbers.

He was also a leader and stabilizing force on rebuilding Chicago. The team signed Dickinson to a two-year contract extension that runs through 2025-26 at $4.25 million AAV.

Dickinson reacted to the notion of him being a "late bloomer."

“It sounds like your abilities started to develop later when I hear that term, and I don’t think that my abilities changed," he said. "I think my mindset changed. My mental strength changed. I think that’s the biggest thing.

“It’s all relative and depends what you value.” 

Dickinson seemed happy with 35 points in a career year, but he values winning. So even though there was an expectation for him coming into the NHL as a first-round pick, it doesn’t matter where you were drafted anymore once you are in the NHL.

Dickinson adds to the amount of points he gets with his two-way ability. Posting 35 points on top of great play away from the puck and in his own end only made his season better. He could get 15 points and continue to play the rest of his game how it is and still be a very valuable player.

“Find what makes you great and commit to it," Dickinson said. "When people talk about late bloomers, it took a while for me to figure out what was going to make me me and give me the best chance at an NHL career.” 

Dickinson proved to be a very effective top-six player on a thin Chicago team in 2023-24. As the Blackhawks improve, he may become a third-line center, but that would mean Chicago's in a better place than its next-to-last finish in 2023-24.

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