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The stage is being set for the awards ceremony, which will determine the winner of the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman.
As we prepare for the upcoming NHL Draft, the league will take center stage once more as it prepares for its annual award ceremony, which is set to take place on Monday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The 2023 NHL Awards ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on TNT, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports.
The annual award ceremony will feature five major awards: the James Norris Trophy, the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Vezina Trophy, the Calder Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award. The winner of each award will be determined by votes from the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
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On that note, here is the list of finalists for the James Norris Trophy, which will be presented at the NHL Awards ceremony in 2023.
Who are the finalists for the 2023 Norris Trophy?
Three candidates have been made as the finalists for the James Norris Trophy award. The category is probably one of the hardest ones to determine the best defenseman in the league as all three finalists have previously won the coveted trophy. Below is the list of finalists for the trophy:
#3 Cale Makar - Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche previously won the James Norris Trophy back in 2015. He also had an impressive 2023 season. However, injuries limited the playing time for the defenseman who did not appear in 82 games.
This is the second time in a row for the Avalanche's defenseman to be the finalist for the Trophy. Makar played 60 games this season and racked up 66 points ( 17 goals and 49 assists).
#2 Adam Fox - New York Rangers
Defenseman Adam Fox of the New York Rangers is another finalist in the list who has previously won the coveted trophy during the 2021-22 season.
Fox finished the 2022-23 campaign as the eighth defenseman with the most points. He played in 82 games and managed to rack up 72 points (12 goals and 60 points) and had a plus-28 rating. Additionally, this was the second 70-point season in a row for the 25-year-old.
#1 Erik Karlsson - San Jose Sharks
The 33-year-old veteran San Jose Sharks defenseman is the heavy favorite to be honored as the league's best defenseman this time. He finished his campaign as the leading defenseman in goal-scoring this season. Karlson played in 82 games and racked up a staggering 101 points ( 25 goals and 76 assists).
Erik Karlsson is already a two-time Norris Trophy winner with the Ottawa Senators (2012 and 2015). He's also been nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award.
