NEW YORK — Boston's Patrice Bergeron is one of three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy announced by the NHL Wednesday night.

Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers and Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings are the other two up for the award given to the league's best defensive forward.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association submitted ballots for the Selke Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced June 20, during the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Bergeron placed sixth in the NHL in face-off win percentage (57.3 per cent) and was a league-best 58.3 per cent while shorthanded. The 14th-year Bruin has four career Selke wins, tied for the all-time lead with Montreal Canadiens forward Bob Gainey, who took the Selke in each of the first four years it was presented from 1978 through 1981.

Bergeron is a finalist for a record seventh consecutive year, surpassing the six-year streak of Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk from 2008 through 2013.

Couturier tied for third place in the NHL in plus-minus with a plus-34 rating and ranked second league-wide in total ice time for forwards (1,770:31). He is a first-time Selke finalist.

Kopitar led all NHL forwards in total ice time (1,810:58), an average of 22:05 per game, on the club that led the league in team defence.

Kopitar is a Selke finalist for the fourth time in five seasons. He placed second in 2014, third in 2015 and won the award for the first time in 2016.