John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun Earn Norris Trophy Votes for NHL’s Top Defenseman trucc

Two Washington Capitals defensemen received consideration for the 2025 Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defenseman. John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun both earned votes for their efforts during the 2024-25 season, which saw the Caps finish atop the Eastern Conference.

Colorado Avalanche defender Cale Makar was named this year’s winner of the award, the second of his career after he took home the 2022 trophy. No Capitals player has won the Norris since Rod Langway won it in back-to-back seasons in 1983 and 1984.

The PHWA, which RMNB is not a part of, votes for the annual award.

Carlson, who has previously been a finalist for the trophy, finished slightly ahead of Chychrun in the final polling this year, earning one fourth-place vote to finish 16th overall. The 35-year-old defender recorded the seventh 50-point season of his career, notching 51 points (5g, 46a) in 79 games. Carlson played large roles at all three strengths for the Caps, skating 23:34 of ice time per game, which was tops on the club and 22nd in the NHL.

Chychrun finished 17th overall after earning just one fifth-place vote, his second-best result in Norris voting after he finished 10th in 2021. The 27-year-old blueliner set new career highs in goals (20) and points (47) in his first 74 games as a member of the Capitals. His 20 goals were the third most of any defenseman in the NHL, finishing behind just Makar (30) and Columbus’ Zach Werenski (23).

Makar broke the 90-point threshold for a second straight season, setting a new career high with 92 points (30g, 62a) in 80 games. Werenski finished second in the voting after he posted 82 points (23g, 59a) in 81 games, while Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes finished third after posting 76 points (16g, 60a) in 68 games.

Norris Trophy voting

The NHL’s full press release is below:

Avalanche’s Cale Makar Wins Second Career Norris Trophy

Colorado Defenseman Honored in Special Surprise Trophy Presentation

NEW YORK (June 11, 2025) – Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche is the 2024-25 recipient of the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Makar was golfing when he was surprised by friends and family, including his wife and parents, with the trophy.

Makar, a Norris Trophy finalist for the fifth time in his first six NHL seasons, has captured the award for the second time (2021-22). He becomes just the second active defenseman with multiple Norris Trophy wins, joining Erik Karlsson (three).

Makar was the top choice on 176 of the 191 ballots and was a unanimous top-three selection for 1,861 voting points. Second-place Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets was named on all 191 ballots, including 13 first-place votes, for 1,266 points. Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, the 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner, finished third in voting with 918 points.

Makar opened the season with a 13-game point streak, the second-longest by a defenseman to launch a campaign behind Bobby Orr’s run of 15 games in 1973-74, and went on to lead NHL blueliners in goals (30), assists (62) and points (92). He became the first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark since Mike Green in 2008-09, with the 30 goals and 92 points setting franchise marks for a defenseman. The Calgary native is the fifth defenseman all-time to post back-to-back 90-point seasons and the first since Paul Coffey (three, 1988-89 to 1990-91) and Al MacInnis (two, 1989-90 to 1990-91).

The best players and coaches from the 2024-25 season will be celebrated in the 2025 NHL Awards, a one-hour special that will premiere on Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m. ET on TNT in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada, before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The show will highlight all NHL Award winners this season, including Makar and others revealed in a series of special surprise video announcements across all League platforms leading up to the June 12 program.