There are three things I love about March:

1. Shamrock shakes make their yearly appearance. Uncle O'Grimacey gets his due. (Leave your Kyle Wellwood jokes at the door)

2. My Raymond Babbit-ish love of symmetry and straight lines come in handy when I draw up my brackets.

3. Awards talk begins to surface in the NHL.

My favourite NHL award has always been the Selke award. The Selke is awarded to the NHL forward who best exemplifies defensive play. Sure, it's not as sexy as the Hart Trophy,  but to me, it's everywhere near as important. This is the award that says, "Here's the guy I'd put on the ice with the game on the line."  It's the equally attractive yet underappreciated girl in the romantic comedy. As a matter of fact, The Selke should just be renamed the  Anna Faris.

In terms of voting for the Selke winner, it seems to be a real witch's brew of criteria used to separate the Mick Jagger's from the Chad Kroeger's. My very own 11 herbs and spices include plus/minus, take away percentage, time on the penalty kill, points, have they ever killed a hobo, goals against - even strength, and time on ice. This is in no way objective. I think to really get the feel of a player's defensive zone awareness, you'd have to watch every shift they played all year long and to be honest, my crocheting and Hall and Oates tribute band, (Maneater) take up way too much time.

Ok, no more rambling. Here are  my 5 nominees for the 2010 Selke award:

Ryan Kesler, C - Vancouver Canucks

Was there ever a kid in your class that straddled the line between overly energetic and a need for ritalin? This is Kesler on the ice. I've seen every Canucks game this year and it can honestly be said that Kesler doesn't have an off switch. Kesler is on the number one penalty kill, he takes key faceoffs, and most importantly he's on the ice to shut down the other team's top line. Kesler will beat you with a goal and then turn around and drop the gloves when the need arises. Kesler's most Selke worthy moment so far wasn't even in the NHL. Kesler's empty net goal with seconds left in the Canada vs. USA Olympic qualifier game was the epitome of hustle. The Canadians had turned the offensive zone into, The Harlem Globetrotters vs. Washington Generals and it seemed that a tying goal was imminent, but Kesler managed to outrace Corey Perry back into Team Canada's zone and dove to knock the puck into the net, sealing it for Team USA.

Jordan Staal, C - Pittsburgh Penguins

He's not flashy. He's not sexy. Hell, he's probably not even the most popular NHL'er in his own house, but Jordan Staal is the guy you want on the ice when the chips are down. He plays a very solid, cream of wheat in a white bowl type of game but you can be assured that if you have a need for a guy to kill penalties, give the top line on the other team fits and then drive to the net for a goal, then Staal is your guy. The only knock against Staal is that he plays less than the other nominees and he is not counted on for offense because of Malkin and Crosby. His most Selke worthy moment?  See: every 5 on 3 that the Penguins end up on the PK for.

Patrick Marleau, C/LW - San Jose Sharks

This one may be off the radar but Marleau plays in all zones and all facets for the Sharks and still manages to rack up the points. He's often the only defensive consience on the Sharks' big line with Heatley and Thornton. Marleau takes key face offs and is often the hustle guy (the ONLY hustle guy) that ends up feeding the puck to Thornton or Heatley. He plays the Lion's share of time but is not a primary penalty kill guy but neither was Datsyuk, who's won the award the last two years.

(hit, read more, to uhhhm, read more....)

Travis Zajac, C - NJ Devils

Anyone watching the Devils this year knows that Zajac is that hidden little gem that will only continue to get better as his career goes forward. A solid two way centre who plays all over the ice and has energy to spare. He's physical, he's a legitimate offensive threat but only after he strips the puck from the other team's best line and moves it up the ice, fast. Did I mention that if you're dumb enough to make a cross ice pass on the power play you can pretty much guarantee a Zajac breakaway? This guy should have his own IPhone App. I like Zajac's chances to get a nomination but I think his Selke win(s) come down the road.

Mikko Koivu, C - Minnestoa Wild

Koivu is having a great year and has been, " fat kid in Gym" solid in both zones. He plays the penalty kill and takes the majority of his team's key faceoffs and still manages to contribute offensively. Koivu's standout attribute when matched against the other nominees is that Mikko is not only skillful but also pretty greasy.  Koivu has no problem hitting or taking a hit to make a play. The Wild are facing hard cheese this year and may not make the playoffs but Koivu's hard work won't be the reason

So, there you have it. My top 5 players to get the nod for the Selke. Honourable mentions were: Pavel Datsyuk, Mike Fisher and Nicklas Backstrom.

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