Introduced in 1954, the James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the defenseman deemed the best at his position as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
It is named after James Norris, a long-time legendary owner of the Detroit Red Wings franchise. Since its inception, the Norris Trophy has been awarded 61 times to 26 different players.
Coincidentally, the first-ever winner of the award, named after a man long associated with the Red Wings, was a Red Wing himself. In 1954, Detroit defenseman Red Kelly became the first player in history to win the awar