Milwaukee, WI—Admirals Alumni and current Nashville Predators Captain Roman Josi was selected as the National Hockey League’s Norris Trophy Winner on Monday, which is awarded annually “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position.”
Josi won the Norris Trophy after posting the best statistical season of his nine-year NHL tenure, establishing career highs in points (65), goals (16) and assists (49). Among NHL defensemen, he finished first in shots (260); second in points and assists; tied for second in goals; third in average time on ice (25:47); and fifth in power-play points (23). In addition to setting the Predators franchise record for points and assists by a defenseman in a season, Josi also was the only NHL blueliner to post at least 15 goals, 45 assists, 60 points, a +20 rating and 25:00 of average ice time during the 2019-20 campaign. His four multi-goal games this season were the most by a defenseman this season.
The heart of Josi’s Norris Trophy season came from Dec. 16-Jan. 9, when he rattled off a record-setting 12-game point streak in which he tallied seven goals and 20 points. The stretch, which featured six multi-point outings, was a franchise-record point streak for a defenseman and the second-longest overall point streak in Predators history. It was the longest point streak by an NHL defenseman since Philadelphia’s Shayne Gostisbehere’s 15-game run in 2015-16; he also became one of eight League blueliners in the last 20 years to record a point streak of at least 10 games. Josi also recorded a five-game goal streak (7g) from Dec. 16-23, the longest such streak by an NHL defenseman since Mike Green’s eight-game run (10g) from Jan. 24-Feb. 14, 2009 with Washington.
Josi made is North American pro debut with the Admirals during the 2010-11 season, skating in 69 games while posting six goals and 34 assists for 40 points which was first among the team’s defensemen and fourth overall. The Bern, Switzerland native began the following season with the Ads, registering four points (1g-3a) in five games before making the permanent move to the Predators.
