Victor Hedman, Adam Fox, and Cale Makar named Norris Trophy finalists

The NHL has announced its finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the league’s best defenceman.

This year’s trio consists of a former winner in @Victor Hedman and a pair of sophomores in @Cale Makar and @Adam Fox.

Adam Fox (@NYRangers), Victor Hedman (@TBLightning) and Cale Makar (@Avalanche) are the finalists for the 2020-21 James Norris Memorial Trophy. https://t.co/MQjtrVFd4Q #NHLAwards #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/FxqxhvGRy5

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 9, 2021

Hedman won the Norris back in 2017-18 after putting up 63 points in 77 games for a Lightning squad that went 54-23-5 during the regular season. Since then, Hedman has finished third in Norris voting in back-to-back seasons. Hedman scored 45 points in 54 games for Tampa Bay this season while logging a career-high 25:03 per night.

Makar was last year’s Calder Trophy winner for the league’s top rookie. The No. 4 overall pick from the 2017 draft broke into the league in 2019-20 with 50 points in 57 games and he followed that up in 2021 with 44 points in 44 games. He finished ninth in Norris voting as a rookie last year.

Finally, there’s Fox, another sophomore. Fox finished fourth in Calder voting last season after scoring 42 points in 70 games in his rookie season with the New York Rangers. In 2021, Fox scored 47 points in 55 games and logged 24:42 per night. The Rangers haven’t had a defenceman win the Norris Trophy since Brian Leetch in 1997.