The Frank J Selke trophy was instituted to reward Bob Gainey for the unsung role he played on the 1970s Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup winning teams. The trophy is awarded annually to the forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive portion of the game. Gainey who won the award the first four years it was given out, was a speedy checker who was key in shutting down the opposition’s leading scorer.
The defensive/checking forward is the one who kills penalties and who rolls out there against the opponent’s top talent. It's unfortunately one of those awards that is difficult to quantify. When Gainey won it, the NHL hadn't even begun to keep plus/minus numbers.
Gainey was a fast, tough checker. He killed penalties and was famed for his ability to shut ...
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Article written by Scott Weldon
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