1995-96 Norris Trophy Revisit

[Felidae]

One of few seasons in which Bourque was involved in a close trophy race.

This season he barely lost to Chelios for the Norris trophy. He had 1 more 1st place vote than Chelios (23 to 22). But Chelios had 3 more 2nd place votes (19 vs 16) and 1 more 3rd place vote (9 vs 8). Overall, Chelios ended up with 408 votes total, just 5 more than Bourque.

No one else was really in contention. Leetch had some support with 6 1st and 2nd place votes, but was the unanimous 3rd place

Then funnily enough, 4th through 6th place were konstantinov, Coffey and lidstrom in that order, all playing for detroit.


Who do you think should have won? And do you think Leetch, Chelios and Bourque were the correct Finalists? Or did someone else deserve recognition?


Here are some surface level stats. Unfortunately it will be mostly offensive stats since TOI and defensive stats weren't tracked back then.


Bourque

Leaguewide
- 82 points, 2nd among defenseman
- 20 goals, 1st among defenseman
- 42 ESP, 1st among defenseman
- +31, 4th among defenseman

Team
-+15 gap over 2nd highest +/- on team
-2nd in scoring on team, 10 points behind Oates


Chelios

Leaguewide
- 72 points, 4th among defenseman
- 14 goals, 13th among defenseman
-+25, 13th among defenseman
-35 EVP, 4th among defenseman

Team
- Led team in points, 5 more than Roenick
- 2nd in +/-, 6 below Keith Carney


Leetch

Leaguewide
- 85 points, led all defenseman
- 15 goals, 8th among defenseman
- 41 EVP, 2nd among defenseman
- +12, 35th among defenseman

Team
- 2nd in points, 14 points behind Messier
- 8th in +/-


Konstantinov


-+60, led the league! 11 more than next highest player, 23 more than next highest defenseman, both teammates.

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[vadim sharifijanov]

i have very few memories of this season. but does anyone feel like the detroit guys could have pushed leetch for third if not for vote splitting between them?

also, !!! at the first place vote hamrlik got

 

[MadLuke]

Bourque was +32, the D that played a lot not on his pair that year
Sweeney -4
Zombo -7
Rohloff -8

No problem to someone voting Leetch or Chelios (hawks had a great PK that year and he did lead them in points at the same time really impressive, so perfectly fine winner) over Bourque, but missing the Top 3 that often that year ? He only had 58 pim as well.

 

[Stephen]

At first I was thinking back to 1996, remembering that was one of the last good years of that era of Bruins hockey and that may have factored into Bourque being beaten out by Chelios for the Norris. But the Hawks were more or less in the same terminal decline as well, and I don’t remember Chelios being a stand out singular Norris Trophy runaway winner that year. Maybe you just attribute it to the mini rotation they had going on those years between Coffey, Chelios and Bourque with a sprinkling of Leetch.

 

[The Panther]

I'm a little surprised Leetch didn't win this, actually, in as much as the Rangers had the best season of the three clubs overall, and Leetch was #1 in defence-scoring. At least, I'm surprised he finished clearly in third behind the other two, who were basically tied.

Maybe the fact that Chelios led his team in scoring, while the other two didn't, was a factor in pushing him (just) into 1st place. I dunno. Voters also might have thought that Leetch had Messier and Bourque had Oates, but Chelios had no huge scoring forward (Roenick had passed his scoring peak).

In retrospect, I feel like Bourque maybe should have won it. But Chelios is good enough.