Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has been named the winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the 2025-26 NHL season.

The award is given annually to the league’s top defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability at the position. Werenski was chosen over fellow finalists Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres.

Werenski finished the season with 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points in 75 games. He also recorded 260 shots on goal, a plus-7 rating, and averaged 26:37 of ice time per game.

He ranked second in the NHL in average ice time and led league defensemen in multi-point games, shots on goal, and tied for the lead in even-strength goals.

The 28-year-old also led Columbus in assists, points, points per game, multi-point efforts, and shots on goal. He set a single-season franchise record for multi-point games and tied the club record for assists for the second straight season.

Werenski is now the fifth U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history to record multiple 80-point seasons and the third to do it in consecutive years.

He is the seventh Blue Jackets player or coach to win a major NHL award, joining names such as Rick Nash, Steve Mason, Sergei Bobrovsky, Nick Foligno, John Tortorella, and Sean Monahan.

Werenski was drafted by Columbus in the first round, 8th overall, in the 2015 NHL Draft.