The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded each National
Hockey League season since 1953-54, honouring the league’s best defenseman.
It’s a historical fact that this award is for a very privileged few. By the end
of the 2010-11 season, the Norris Trophy had been given out 55 times. Just four
players account for 27 of the 55 winners which equates to slightly more than 49%.
Since, 2010-11, the award has been spread out to two first time winners.
Bobby Orr
The group of four is headed by Boston Bruins legend Bobby
Orr. Orr won the Norris Trophy in eight straight seasons from 1967-68 to
1974-75. Of course, this is just a portion of the hardware in Orr’s trophy
case. During that eight year run, he won the Art Ross Trophy as league scoring
leader twice (the only defenseman to win the award). He was also awarded the
Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player for three consecutive
years from 1969-70 to 1971-72. If Orr’s NHL career didn’t come to a premature
end due to knee injuries, there’s no knowing how many more times he would have
won the Norris.
Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey won the Norris Trophy seven times, one less than
Bobby Orr. After Red Kelly won the inaugural Norris Trophy in 1953-54 as a
member of the Detroit Red Wings, Doug Harvey took over. He won four in a row
from 1954-55 to 1957-58 as a Montreal Canadien. In 1958-59, Canadiens teammate,
Tom Johnson, won the award. From 1959-60 to 1961-62, Harvey won another three
in a row, two as a member of the Habs and his final one as a member of the New
York Rangers.
Niklas Lidstrom
Tied with Doug Harvey is Niklas Lidstrom. The man who took
over the leadership role with the Detroit Red Wings when Steve Yzerman retired
won the Norris three years in a row from 2000-01 to 2002-03 and then again from
2005-06 to 2007-08. Lidstrom won one last Norris Trophy in 2010-11. Niklas
retired after the 2011-12 season and is destined for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
His number 5 will be retired by the Red Wings in March, 2014.
Raymond Bourque
Rounding out the group with his name engraved on the Norris
Trophy five times is another Boston Bruins great, Raymond Bourque. Despite
playing 22 seasons in the NHL, Bourque’s five Norris Trophy victories came over
just an eight year span from 1986-87 to 1993-94. Bourque is the NHL’s all-time
leader among defensemen in career goals and points. He is the NHL’s all-time
leader in shots on goal with nearly one thousand more than the next on the
list.
3 Time Winners
Add in four three-time winners and it really becomes apparent
that the Norris Trophy is for a very select few of the most elite defensemen to
play the game. Pierre Pilote of the Chicago Blackhawks won three times in the
mid 1960’s. Denis Potvin won his three with the New York Islanders during their
dynasty years of the early 1980’s. When Ray Bourque wasn’t winning it in the
1980’s and 1990’s, Paul Coffey and Chris Chelios were. Coffey did it with the
Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings. Chelios did it with the Montreal
Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks. Of course, with the exception of Lidstrom,
every player named in this article is now enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
As mentioned, as soon as Lidstrom is eligible, it would be the crime of the
century if he is not inducted immediately.
