Zach Werenski was named the Norris Trophy winner on Tuesday as the NHL’s defenceman “who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets rearguard edged out Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche with 1,589 points to 1,191. The 28-year-old Grosse Pointe, MI native led Makar in first-place votes by a considerable 113 to 47 margin. Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres finished third.
Three Canadian-based players finished in the top-10. Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers was fourth, trailing Dahlin by 64 points. He received 12 first-place votes. The Montreal Canadiens’ Lane Hutson was sixth with 357 points and three first-place votes. Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators finished 10th with 16 points.
It was a second straight season of being named a finalist for Werenski and his first victory. The Blue Jackets’ all-time leader in goals and points by a defenceman appeared in 75 games in 2025-2026, recording 22 goals and adding 59 assists. His 81 points were one short of the career-high he established in 2024-2025.
Originally taken with the eighth overall selection of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Werenski has appeared in 642 games across 10 seasons for the team. For his career, Werenski has 135 goals and 330 assists.
Werenski, a member of the United States’ gold medal-winning entry at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, becomes the sixth American player to claim the Norris after Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios and Rod Langway.
