Mar 31, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) checks Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider was named winner of The Hockey News Rod Langway Award Thursday as the National Hockey League’s best defensive defenseman of 2025-26 The award is part of a group of awards THN gives out each year.
The Hockey News staff writers and contributors vote on the media outlets various awards. Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin was runner-up to Seider in the balloting.
Dallas Stars Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen followed in third and fourth, respectively. Minnesota Wild player Jonas Brodin was fifth.
“He’s like a diesel engine,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “They just keep running and running.
Yet he’s a greyhound. He can go and it doesn’t faze him.
I can’t remember seeing him bent over in a shift where the legs are just so stiff and he can’t move. I can’t remember seeing that.
And he’s been caught out there a few times for lengthy ones. So if I was picking somebody on our team that would run marathons or ultra marathons, it would be him.
Incredible athlete.” Seider Likely to be Detroit’s Next Captain Seider plays a responsible, physical game and still found opportunities to produce 60 points for the first time in his career. He has also never missed a game in his career.
Seider is a serious player, a natural leader, likely to succeed Dylan Larkin as captain when he is traded. The Langway award has meaning because the media had long debated whether Norris voters, especially in recent years, placed enough emphasis on a defenseman’s defensive ability.
Traditionally, the Norris has gone to an offensive-minded player. For years, some members suggested there should be two defensive awards — one going to the offensive start of the blue line and another going to a defensive stalwart.
Langway’s name was always mentioned as a possible trophy name because he is considered the last pure defensive defenseman to win the Norris. He won back-to-back Norris Trophies in 1982-83 and 1983-84 with only modest offensive production.
Seider Led Detroit in Plus-Minus Langway’s rugged defensive play transformed the Capitals from an expansion team to a contender. Since his time, point production has been the primary talking point for the Norris.
However, players like Zdeno Chara, Drew Doughty and Nick Lidstrom were heralded for being equally gifted at both ends of the ice. Seider has improved in each NHL season.
Hiss durability and one-one-one defensive play are crucial to the team’s competitiveness. The Red Wings are simply not as effective when he is not on the ice.
This season, Seider was plus-15 on a team that had trouble scoring five-on-five goals.