After a strong 2018-19 season, Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting. The news was made public in an NHL release during the league’s award show in Las Vegas.

35-year-old Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames won the Norris after receiving 165 of 171 first-place votes. Brent Burns and Victor Hedman were the runner ups.

But the story for Capitals fans is just how close Carlson was to becoming a Norris Trophy finalist for the first time in his career.

Carlson finished 34 points behind Hedman for third place.

During the season, Carlson scored 13 goals and tallied 70 points, finishing fourth among all defensemen in scoring. The 70 points were a career high as were Carlson’s 33 points on the power-play. Carlson led all defensemen in points during the 2017-18 season (68).

The last Capitals defenseman to win the Norris Trophy is Rod Langway, who won the award back-to-back in 1982 and 1983. Mike Green was the last Caps d-man to be a runner up, doing so in 2009 and 2010.

The Norris Trophy win was Giordano’s first ever.

The bedrock of the @NHLFlames' defense, @MarkGio05 wins his first Norris Trophy. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/dEp5aXUWlD

— NHL (@NHL) June 20, 2019

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Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames has won the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the defenseman demonstrating “the greatest all-around ability in the position,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Giordano was a near-unanimous selection, receiving 165 of 171 first-place votes in garnering 1,690 points. Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks, the 2017 Norris Trophy winner, finished second (720 points), followed by Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, last year’s Norris recipient (585 points).

Giordano enjoyed his most prolific campaign at age 35, posting career highs of 57 assists and 74 points in 78 games (17-57—74) to rank second among League defensemen in scoring and guide the Flames to their second-best regular season in franchise history. The Calgary captain topped all NHL skaters (defensemen and forwards) with a +39 rating, the best such mark by a Flames player since 1990-91 (Theo Fleury: +48, Al MacInnis: +42). Giordano also paced all blueliners and shared fourth place in the entire League with a career-high four shorthanded goals, the most by any defenseman since 1999-00 (Nicklas Lidstrom: 4 w/ DET).

The Toronto native is the first player in Flames history to capture the Norris Trophy; MacInnis finished second in voting in both 1989-90 and 1990-91, as did Dion Phaneuf in 2007-08.

For more on the James Norris Memorial Trophy, including a list of past winners, click here.