Makar Wins Second Norris Trophy

Emma Brown / NHL / June 11, 2025

Makar Wins Second Norris Trophy

For the second time in his career, Cale Makar has won the James Norris Memorial Trophy. This award is given to the season’s best defenseman as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

On Wednesday morning, Makar took another step towards cementing himself as a generational talent by becoming just the 14th defenseman to win the award multiple times in their career.

Makar kicked off the 2024-25 season with a 13-game point streak. He ended the season with 30 goals, 62 assists, and 92 points, setting franchise records for defencemen in goals and points.(Avalanche/Nordiques) He is the first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark since Mike Green in 2008-09. The 26-year-old is the fifth D-man in league history to record back-to-back 90-point seasons.

He joins Hall of Famers Bobby Orr (8), Dennis Potvin and Paul Coffey (3), and Ron Langway (2) as players who won this award multiple times before they turned 27. Current Pittsburgh defenseman Erik Karlsson is the only other active player to have won the Norris Trophy numerous times (3).

Makar took home 176 of the 191 first-place votes and recorded 1,861 voting points to win the Norris Trophy for the first time since 2021-22. He has been a finalist for the award in five of his first six NHL seasons. Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets had 13 first-place votes and 1,266 points, while Quinn Hughes had two first-place votes and 918 points.