San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson has won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL.
San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson has won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL.
Karlsson becomes the ninth defenseman in NHL history to win the Norris Trophy at least three times. This was Karlsson's fifth time as a nominee for the award.
"To San Jose, the entire organization, you are doing a fantastic job there, and you rejuvenated a guy like me," Karlsson said during his acceptance speech. "To my teammates that showed up every day during tough circumstances, not winning as many games as we would've liked, you made it enjoyable every day to come to the rink."
Karlsson had a historic season for San Jose, scoring 101 (25 goals, 76 assists) points. He is the first defenseman to score 100 points since Brian Leetch scored 102 in the 1991-92 season.
EK65 is the first San Jose Shark to win the Norris Trophy since Brent Burns did so in 2017.
The New York Rangers' Adam Fox and Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar were the other nominees for the award.