Zach Werenski is the top NHL defenseman for 2026 after putting together a season that earned him the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

A year after finishing second for the award to Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar in 2025, Werenski put together another outstanding season for the Blue Jackets that pushed him into the top spot among voters in the Professional Hockey Writers Association over Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar and Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin.

"I think the biggest thing for me last year, being a finalist, is I wanted to prove to not only myself, but to everyone, that last season wasn’t a fluke and I could do it again," Werenski said. "I felt like I always had the talent, but in terms of my full game, I felt like last year was ... really my first breakout year, and I wanted to prove to myself that it wasn't just a one-off."

Mission accomplished.

"Obviously, we fell short of our ultimate goal, which was making the playoffs, but we made strides, and I definitely proved that it wasn’t just a fluke, and it wasn’t just a one-year thing and I can play at that level, and I can be in the conversation with those great defensemen," Werenski said. "Really proud of it."

The Norris Trophy voting tabulations were announced June 2 by the NHL, which released the news along with a video of Werenski getting the Trophy in a surprise visit from a camera crew June 24 while he and his wife, Odette, hosted a family get together with their newborn son, Hudson.

"I think the only people who knew were Odette and my brother [Brad], so just seeing my parents' reaction, everyone that was over, that’s the best part about it all is how surprised they were," Werenski said. "I definitely, maybe, thought something was coming, but like I said, until you actually see that it's here, and you hear the words, 'You're the Norris winner,' it's just in your mind. It's just a thought."

Werenski is the first Blue Jackets defenseman and sixth American-born player to win the Norris Trophy, joining Rod Langway, Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, Adam Fox and Quinn Hughes. He trains with Hughes in Detroit during offseasons, and they became even closer while leading the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

Hughes won the Norris Trophy in 2024.

"He just kept telling me all year, like, ‘This is yours to lose,’ and, ‘Go for it,’ and it gave me a ton of confidence," Werenski said. "So, I thought that was cool that I'm going to be up there with my peers and guys I've played against and guys that have pushed me to be better."

Older names included on the trophy left an impression, too, including former Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom, a seven-time Norris winner. Werenski, who's from the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, grew up watching Lidstrom play. Now, their names are linked forever on the same trophy.

"One of the first names I looked for was Nick Lidstrom," Werenski said. "It’s not hard to find because he’s on there seven times, but that's probably the one that I really looked for right away. I grew up watching him, obviously, being from Detroit. I knew how special a player he was, and to win it once is an incredible feeling, but to do what he did is ... it’s insane."

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) chats with right wing Kirill Marchenko (86) in the third period of the NHL game at Nationwide Arena on Saturday, March 28, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski still in his NHL prime

Werenski may have more in his future, too.

He doesn't turn 29 until July, and he's become an elite offensive defenseman. His defensive play certainly factored into finishing first, but Werenski's unique offensive acumen is what put him over the top with 81 points on 22 goals and 59 assists in 75 games. Leading the Blue Jackets in scoring for the second consecutive season as a defenseman swayed enough voters to complete a memorable 16-month span.

Despite the Blue Jackets stumbling from playoff contention, he helped the U.S. win gold on a play he sparked in overtime of the gold medal game, stealing the puck from Canadian superstar Nathan MacKinnon and sending a pass to Hughes' brother, Jack, for the golden goal in a 2-1 victory.

Months earlier, Werenski also helped the U.S. break a long championship drought in May 2025 at the men’s world championships in Stockholm, Sweden, giving him two international gold medals playing for the U.S. in less than a year's time. Prior to that, he also helped the U.S. win a silver medal at the NHL's inaugural 2025 Four Nations Face-Off.

During each gold medal celebration, Werenski made sure to honor deceased former Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau along with his U.S. teammates, displaying his No. 13 jersey each time and taking it a step further in the Olympic celebration by carrying two of Gaudreau’s three young children onto the ice for the team's victory photo.

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Three months later, Werenski became a father for the first time when Odette gave birth to Hudson. Now, on top of those career and life milestones, Werenski is the first Blue Jackets defensemen to win the Norris Trophy and a first-time recipient of the award, which is named after James E. Norris, a longtime Red Wings owner.

"You know, I think if you look back to [2025] world championships, even as far [back] as [Four Nations] two seasons ago, it’s been an awesome year and a half for me," Werenski said. "It’s a long list of accomplishments, and you know, I wouldn't be here without a great support system, and a great family and great friends, and this just caps off a really great two seasons for me, and I feel very honored. I feel very blessed."

Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski shoots around Red Wings center Andrew Copp on Dec. 4.

Since the Jackets selected him eighth overall in 2015, Werenski has matured into a homegrown superstar and now the NHL’s top defenseman. That’s why former GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who drafted him, made Werenski the Blue Jackets’ top defenseman and highest-paid player July 29, 2021, by signing him to a six-year contract worth $59.5 million.

That deal, which has two seasons left, was announced about a month after Kekalainen traded Werenski’s former defense partner, Seth Jones, to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Jackets received an enticing return package that allowed them to draft forward Cole Sillinger 12th overall in 2021 and defenseman David Jiricek sixth overall in 2022, but the deal also made Werenski their top defenseman.

Aside from injuries that limited his availability for two years (2021-2023), Werenski has capitalized on the opportunity to play a huge role. In the past two seasons combined, he ranks second among all NHL defensemen in points [163], third in goals [45], fifth in assists [118], first in shots [558] and second in ice time [26:41].

Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski skates by Islanders center Mathew Barzal on Feb. 28.

He also tops every all-time defensive scoring record for the Blue Jackets by sitting first in points [465], goals [135], assists [330] and power-play goals [29] while also leading in games played [642] by defensemen.

Unlike many of his blue-line peers around the NHL, though, Werenski has skated with numerous partners on the Blue Jackets’ top defensive pairing since Jones left. The past two years, it's been Dante Fabbro for most of 2024-25 followed by a combination of Damon Severson, Ivan Provorov, Denton Mateychuk and Fabbro this past season.

Unfazed by the rotation, Werenski plugged along for another remarkable campaign that finished with a coveted NHL trophy. He's not done, either. Far from it.

"I don’t want to stop here," Werenski said. "I feel like the second you get complacent is the second you get passed up, and I want to keep playing for a long time. I want to play for my son, for my family. There’s so much motivation out there, and I still haven’t won the ultimate goal, which is the Stanley Cup. I really haven’t played in the playoffs or had much success in the playoffs, ever, so there's more motivation than ever for me to be even better next season to try and play in the playoffs."

Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski wins Norris Trophy

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