We have a first time Norris Trophy winner!

This just in, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman has won the 2026 James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman.

The award was presented to Werenski as a total surprise at his home in Columbus with the help of his wife Odette Werenski.

Check it out:

This is Werenski's first Norris Trophy, edging out some stiff competition from Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres) and Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche).

For much of his NHL career, Werenski has been one of hockey's most underrated superstars. He has quietly established himself as one of the league's premier two-way blueliners since being selected eighth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, but the 2025-26 season may have finally cemented his place among the game's elite.

After starring for the Blue Jackets for nearly a decade, Werenski put together the finest season of his career in 2025-26. He recorded 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points in just 75 games, finishing among the NHL's highest-scoring defensemen while continuing to handle heavy minutes in all situations. His combination of offensive creativity, skating ability and defensive reliability made him one of the most impactful players at his position and earned him his second consecutive nomination for the Norris Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's top defenseman.

Werenski's success extended far beyond the NHL season. Following his standout performance for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he helped the Americans capture their first world title since 1933 and was named the tournament's top defenseman, he once again answered the call for his country on the international stage.

The crowning achievement came at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Representing Team USA alongside many of the NHL's biggest stars, Werenski played a crucial role in one of the most memorable moments in American hockey history. In the gold-medal game against Canada, he assisted on Jack Hughes' overtime winner as the United States captured its first Olympic men's hockey gold medal since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.

Now 28 years old and firmly in his prime, Werenski has transformed from a promising young defenseman into one of the faces of American hockey. Between his Norris Trophy-winning NHL season, his international success with Team USA, and his leadership role in Columbus, the 2025-26 campaign stands as the defining year of an already impressive career. There's no argument now that Werenski has established himself as one of the premier defensemen of his generation.