Avalanche star Cale Makar has been voted the NHL’s top defenseman and will take home the 2025 James Norris Memorial Trophy, the league announced Wednesday.
It’s the second time taking home the Norris for Makar, who became the first defenseman in Avalanche franchise history to win it when he was crowned the league’s best rearguard following the 2021-22 season. He was the clear favorite for the award, becoming the first D-man to hit 30 goals and 90 points in the same season since Paul Coffey in 1988-89 while finishing the year with a 10-point lead in scoring among defenseman ahead of the Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, although the two tied with 54 even-strength points.
Among defensemen, Makar also ranked 11th in plus-minus (+28), first in points per game (1.15), second in shots on goal (246), and third in average time on ice (25:43). He also recorded 128 blocks, the second-highest mark of his six-year career. Makar’s possession impacts once again flourished after an unusually subpar defensive showing in 2023-24, controlling 56.6% of shot attempts and a career-high 59.4% of expected goals at even strength.
The 6’0″ righty finished ahead of Werenski and Canucks lefty Quinn Hughes for the award. Makar received 176 first-place votes and 1,861 total points, while Werenski was the runner-up with 13 first-place votes and 1,266 points. The full voting breakdown is as follows, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic:
- Makar – 1,861 points (176-13-2-0-0)
- Werenski – 1,266 points (13-132-38-7-1)
- Hughes – 918 points (2-39-110-21-12)
- Josh Morrissey, Jets – 280 (0-5-18-41-32)
- Victor Hedman, Lightning – 265 (0-1-11-55-38)
- Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres – 120 (0-0-4-26-22)
- Thomas Harley, Stars – 60 (0-1-1-7-27)
- Jaccob Slavin, Hurricanes – 60 (0-0-2-13-11)
- Lane Hutson, Canadiens – 42 (0-0-1-5-22)
- Jake Sanderson, Senators – 33 (0-0-0-9-6)
- Evan Bouchard, Oilers – 29 (0-0-2-4-7)
- Adam Fox, Rangers – 9 (0-0-1-0-4)
- Gustav Forsling, Panthers – 8 (0-0-1-0-3)
- Ryan McDonagh, Lightning – 5 (0-0-0-1-2)
- Devon Toews, Avalanche – 4 (0-0-0-1-1)
- John Carlson, Capitals – 3 (0-0-0-1-0)
- Jakob Chychrun, Capitals – 1 (0-0-0-0-1)
Brock Faber, Wild – 1 (0-0-0-0-1)
Shea Theodore, Golden Knights – 1 (0-0-0-0-1)
Makar’s run of dominance to begin his career is putting him on a fast track to Hall-of-Fame status. He’s now the sixth player to win at least two Norrises in the first six seasons of his NHL career, and he’s been a finalist for the award in every year since his rookie season. He still finished in the top 10 in voting while winning the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 2019-20.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Its not even much of an honor to win these things anymore . this was Hughes all day
How was Slavin not fourth?
He won the Shea Weber award >.>
Hope Forsling gets a Norris one day, He actually plays defense.
Will Makar win 5+ Norris trophies when his career is all said and done?
As a NYR fan, let me be the first to ask…who the F voted for Adam Fox? Woof.
Yeah, a third and some fifth place votes. Other than racking up the assists, Fox seems to have regressed badly in the actual defense part of being a defenseman, and also seems to have lost that first step separation he used to have.
The Caps beat writer got in a few token votes. Evidently, he values Carlson’s overall play over Chychrun elite goal total.
Well deserved for Makar, it’s almost taken for granted at this point how good he is, and his defensive play vastly improved from last season. That being said, seeing the full results always gives everyone a good laugh. Who in the world actually thinks that Hedman, or Harley, or Morrissey had the 2nd-best season of any defenseman in the league? (Not to say they weren’t great, but runner-up worthy?)
Also, there really needs to be an award for best defensive defenseman, it’s ridiculous that blue-liners like Slavin, Forsling, McDonagh etc. who are walking masterclasses of, you know, actually playing defense, seemingly are ineligible for recognition because they don’t provide as much offense.
Yeah Hedman was striking for me. Think he still deserves votes and should be on the overall list but top 5 is kind of crazy. He’s still really good but they have been pairing back his usage and he’s getting a lot less D zone starts. All perfectly reasonable for a guy his age but that doesn’t scream top 5 to me. I also hoped Werenski would have gotten a few more points but I probably overvalue guys that just eat minutes relative to most.
Yeah, this was a big “who the hell else?” choice.
Writers vote for their guy (say, Fox, or Harley) and it creates an easy writing piece for them to keep their job a little longer before AI takes it over.
You know unfortunately this award isn’t about actual defense as it is about a defenseman’s offensive production. Just look at the top 5 & that tells you.
If this award was for actual defensive performance, Ryan McDonagh would have won hands down this year as he had a +41 (the best in league) let alone playing against teams best offensive lines all season. Unfortunately, it’s not about that & guys like McDonagh, Slavin, Theodore, & such go unnoticed which is a real shame & a slap to the league’s defensive play of true shutdown defenders.
There’s your 1st and 2nd All Star Team (sneak preview based on the voting). Morrissey…shout out.
Points are all that matters . All you have to do is look at Fox and Bouchard . Both get hype for the scoring , Ignoring all goals scored when they are on the ice. perfect example Hrudey And McLean last game going on and on about Bouchard. Took a x defensemen Bieksa show Both Marchand goals were Bouchard fault.
The best defensemen in league is Slavin. As talented as Makar and Hughes. He is first guy I would pick.
And your team would be like the Hurricanes, continually running into a wall. Slavin is good but if he is best in the league he would not be 8th in this voting and 71st in scoring among defensemen (yes, offense matters).
Hughes got 12 5th place votes somehow.
There should be a separate award for Defensive defensemen.
Congrats to Makar, an absolutely unbelievable player that probably isn’t even hitting his peak yet.