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Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar lead finalists for Selke Trophy

NHL, Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar and Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier are finalists for the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward in the NHL.

Bergeron is nominated for the seventh straight season and is one of just two players to have won the award four times. Hall of Famer Bob Gainey also has won it four times.

Bergeron ranked fifth in faceoff percentage (57.3) and first in short-handed faceoff percentage (59.3) and finished at plus-21 in 64 games played.

Kopitar, who won the award in 2016, led all NHL forwards in average time on ice at 22:05 per game. Kopitar often saw duty on the Kings' penalty-kill unit, which finished tops in the league in penalty killing percentage (85.0).

Couturier is a first-time nominee and finished third in plus/minus at plus-34. He is trying to join Bobby Clarke and Dave Poulin as Flyers who have won the award.

The winner, based on voting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, will be announced at the 2018 NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 20.

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