Cale Makar’s award idea is one that has been growing in popularity over the last couple of years: multiple awards for defensemen.
Makar is a two-time recipient of the James Norris Memorial Trophy—commonly
referred to as the Norris Trophy—the NHL’s lone award dedicated exclusively to defensemen. The honor is formally bestowed upon the player who exhibits “the greatest all-around ability in the position during the regular season.” Yet in practice, the award has long favored offensive output over defensive acumen, with the majority of recipients being those who generate the most points from the blue line rather than those who most effectively embody the core responsibilities of the position.
The 2022 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient has argued that the league ought to establish a distinct award for the highest-scoring defenseman, while reserving the Norris Trophy for its intended purpose: recognizing the premier shutdown defenseman whose impact is defined less by offensive production than by the suppression of opposing talent.
Believe it or not, over the past year several Colorado Avalanche fans have reached out to me directly about this very issue, urging me to support a movement for multiple defensive awards—so that defensemen outside the points race can finally receive proper recognition for their contributions.
At first, the proposal was met with some skepticism, shaped largely by my largely traditionalist outlook. Change is not always easy to embrace, and there is a certain preference for stability and continuity in the way things have long been done. Perspectives naturally vary, and this one is no exception.
But the fact that Makar himself, who has been the beneficiary of this system, is a clear wake-up call that perhaps something does need to change. His idea? The Bobby Orr Award.
“I might get roasted on that, but that’s my take on it,” Makar told TheScore.com.
Under this proposed framework, the Norris Trophy would continue to honor the league’s premier all-around defenseman, while a newly established Bobby Orr Award would serve as the defensive counterpart to the Art Ross Trophy, recognizing the defenseman who accumulates the highest point total over the course of the season.
Makar deserves no criticism in this context. From a common-sense perspective, this is a position that should resonate with most informed hockey fans—even those who, like the author, tend toward a more traditionalist mindset. During the 2024–25 NHL regular season, Ian Cole led all defensemen in blocked shots, registering 211 over 82 games for the then-Utah Hockey Club. Yet under the current Norris Trophy framework, his defensive excellence carries no weight; his performance is overshadowed by higher-scoring peers such as Makar or Quinn Hughes. Cole registered 17 points in 82 games but was otherwise defensively sound.
Another example comes from the Avalanche themselves in the form of Devon Toews. At a captain’s skate, he demonstrated his defensive acumen by expertly poke-checking the puck away from Gabe Landeskog. Toews’s ability to read plays and employ intelligent positioning to disrupt offensive sequences has made him an indispensable component of Colorado’s defensive structure. Coupled with Makar—one of the most offensively dynamic defensemen in the modern game—the two have formed a potent pairing over the years. In addition, other d-men that would be a good fit to win the award under a new structure would include players like Jaccob Slavin, Adam Fox, Ryan McDonough, and Jonas Brodin.
Let us know what you think. Does the NHL need to make a change? You be the judge.
