2023-24 Bill Masterton Trophy nominees announced

The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association released its list of 32 nominees for the 2023-24 Bill Masterton Trophy on Monday, including one player from each NHL market. The Masterton is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game. Its recent winners include Kris Letang, Carey Price and Oskar Lindblom.

Here is a list of each nominee, with bios provided by the PHWA:

ANAHEIM — URHO VAAKANAINEN

Fate hadn’t been kind to Vaakanainen since Boston selected him with the 18th pick in the 2017 NHL draft. His second game in the league ended early on a concussion suffered when hit by Ottawa’s Mark Borowiecki. Another concussion came in 2022 when drilled by Seattle’s Yanni Gourde. Injuries followed him to Anaheim following a trade. A hard spill into the end boards in a preseason game delayed the start of his 2022-23 season until the end of November and then his year was done after only 23 games as he’d need hip surgery. Injuries had always gotten in the way of his development as he played in only 68 NHL games over five seasons. But the 25-year-old Finnish defenseman has dealt with the obstacles and is finally showing his wares as a regular, having stayed healthy to play in 64 of the Ducks’ 75 games while posting his best metrics when paired with Radko Gudas. He’d also celebrate his first and only NHL on Jan. 25 in Dallas. When you combine the adversity he’s battled through and a defensive game that’s about using his feet and stick rather than brute force, it shows Vaakanainen’s perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.

ARIZONA — CONNOR INGRAM

Ingram’s career was nearly derailed by undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder, a condition that led him to drink heavily and obsess over the possibility of contamination from physical contact with other people, or even every-day objects. Four years after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and undergoing intense therapy (and seven years after he turned pro) Ingram has learned to cope with and manage his condition. He has also locked down a regular NHL roster spot while becoming one of the NHL’s better goaltenders. He has been unfailingly open when discussing his condition.

BOSTON — DANTON HEINEN

For the first time in his NHL career, Heinen entered training camp this fall without a guaranteed job or contract after a down year in Pittsburgh. Rather than dwell on his uncertain situation, the 28-year-old Heinen put his head down and earned a job with the Bruins, the team that originally drafted him in 2014, on a training camp tryout where he exhibited strong perseverance and belief in himself. That turned into an excellent all-around season where Heinen became a versatile every game player that went into late March sitting eighth on the team in goals (14) and tenth in points (29) while also playing on a top line with Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand for solid lengths of the season.

BUFFALO — UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN

After 92 games in the minors and nearly eight years after he was drafted in the second round in 2017, the 25-year-old emerged as the Sabres’ No. 1 goalie and became one of the top goalies in the league this season in the 2024 portion of the schedule. Luukkonen has 25 wins, a first for a Buffalo goalie since Ryan Miller in 2012, and a career-high five shutouts. And it came in a season that saw him not get a start until Oct.24 as part of Buffalo’s three-goalie rotation. Luukkonen has prospered in the wake of double hip surgery (2019) and ankle surgery (2023), and will play 50 games in a season for the first time in his pro career.

CALGARY — OLIVER KYLINGTON

Kylington has preferred not to share all the details of his extended absence for mental-health reasons, but the 26-year-old revealed as he returned to action in late January that he’d worried he may not be able to resume his promising career. As he told reporters prior to his first NHL game in nearly 20 months: “At one point in time, I didn’t think I was going to be here.” Kylington, who continued to work with Flames’ support staff through his personal leave, is now once again a fixture on Calgary’s blue-line. His comeback is one of the best feel-good stories of the 2023-24 campaign and he has undoubtedly inspired and provided hope for many hockey fans facing their own mental-health challenges.   

CAROLINA — FREDERIK ANDERSEN

In early November, it looked like Andersen’s career might be over. The 34-year-old Hurricanes goalie started the season with a 4-1-0 record after re-signing with Carolina in the offseason, but a blood-clotting issue sidelined Andersen and threatened both his health and career. While the Hurricanes struggled in net, Andersen and the team’s doctors sought answers, and in late January it was announced he was cleared to return to practice after undergoing treatment for deep-vein thrombosis that led to pulmonary embolisms. On March 7, he made his first start in more than four months. It would have been understandable if Andersen looked rusty, but he allowed two or fewer goals in his first six starts, all wins, and made a case to reclaim his job as Carolina’s No. 1 goalie as the playoffs approach. In a career that has had starts and stops, Andersen is again at the top of his game after facing his biggest challenge.

CHICAGO — COLIN BLACKWELL

Blackwell underwent sports hernia surgery on March 22 and was expected to be out approximately 12 weeks. But his road to recovery was anything but smooth. He suffered setback after setback throughout the summer, struggling with the simplest day-to-day activities, like taking his dog for a walk. He finally made his return to the lineup on Dec. 19 and has been a spark plug for the Blackhawks ever since, becoming a fixture on their shutdown line. Fittingly, Blackwell recorded his first career NHL hat trick on March 10, almost a year removed from the surgery that made him wonder whether his playing career would be over. Blackwell provides as much energy off the ice as he does on, too, representing the Blackhawks at the Chicago Pride parade and bringing puppies to a practice to raise awareness for an adoption drive. 

COLORADO — JONATHAN DROUIN

Drouin’s career was at a crossroads after this past season. He was a free agent after a frustrating end to six years with his hometown Canadiens. Drouin signed a one-year, $825,000 contract to play for the Avalanche this season. He has reunited with former junior teammate Nathan MacKinnon, and could finish this season with a career-high in points. Drouin has earned plaudits for his work ethic from coaches and teammates alike. He’s spoken openly about his past mental health struggles and his willingness to be a sounding board for two teammates who entered the NHL-NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Drouin has also become a two-way force while proving he doesn’t need to play on a line with MacKinnon to excel.

COLUMBUS — ZACH WERENSKI

Werenski has pushed through an unceasing number of hard-luck injuries in his eight-year NHL career to re-establish himself among the league’s top offensive defensemen. Werenski is no stranger to injuries, but the shoulder injury he suffered early in the 2022-23 season required surgery and forced him to miss the final 69 games. Since joining the league in 2016-17, Werenski ranks 21st among NHL defensemen with 291 points (85 goals, 206 assists), putting him ahead of Charlie McAvoy, Aaron Ekblad, Cam Fowler, Noah Hanifin and others. This, despite missing 132 games. It’s been another tough season for the Blue Jackets, but Werenski (6-40-46 in 61 games) is having one of his finest campaigns. He’s already set a personal high with 40 assists, and he’s three points away from setting a new points mark.

DALLAS — MATT DUCHENE

After being bought out by the Predators just before the start of free agency, Duchene signed a modest one-year, $3 million contract with the Stars. Duchene’s impact was instant, elevating the second line trio of Mason Marchment, Tyler Seguin and himself into not only one of the best lines on the team but in the NHL. Duchene’s veteran leadership is well-respected in the locker room and his presence, on the ice in the room, helped catapult the Stars into one of the top teams in the league and a true Stanley Cup contender.

DETROIT — ALEX LYON

Lyon, 31, was a career minor leaguer with just 39 NHL games when he signed with the Red Wings in 2023. He was third on the depth chart and did not play the first five weeks, then was called upon during the Global Series in Stockholm. Lyon played so well he rose to No. 1, and as of March 25 had started 35 games (his season high coming in was 15). In January, his performance (8-2-2, .923 save percentage) is the reason the Wings banked 20 of 26 possible points. Lyon considered quitting in 2021 after playing a combined 10 games, but persevered and is now a starter in the NHL, and his goaltending has put the Wings in the playoff picture.

EDMONTON — VINCENT DESHARNAIS

Desharnais has criss-crossed the hockey world, from the Chilliwack (B.C.) Chiefs, to Providence College in Rhode Island. From Wichita in the ECHL, to Bakersfield in the AHL, to the Edmonton Oilers — with one common theme. “Everywhere I’ve been —  everywhere — I’ve started as the seventh or eighth D-man,” he said. And his game? “It’s not sexy, but I get the job done.” At age 27 the Laval, PQ native played his 100th NHL game this season. A seventh-round draft pick in 2016, in the ensuing eight years, the six-foot-seven, right-shot D-man has established himself against all odds. He has become a solid, physical defender who can fight, hit, and move a puck well enough to hold down a regular spot on the blue-line of one of hockey’s premier offensive teams.

FLORIDA — OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON

Coming off of two injury-riddled seasons and a buyout from the Canucks, Ekman-Larsson was at a low point in his career. He picked himself right back up, inked a one-year deal with the Panthers and has put together the best season he’s had in four years. He is on pace for his highest point total since leaving the Coyotes in 2019-20 and he has done so adjusting to multiple roles. In Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour’s absence, Ekman-Larsson played top-pairing minutes, but he had the professionalism and sportsmanship to step into a smaller role and still perform at a high level.

LOS ANGELES — VIKTOR ARVIDSSON

It’s been a long road for Arvidsson’s return to the Kings lineup. Two back surgeries over the past two years have kept him off the ice for long stretches including the Kings’ first 50 games this season. An unrelated lower-body injury caused him to miss an additional 14 games but when healthy, Arvidsson transforms the team’s offense with his playmaking ability and shooter’s mentality. His partnership with Pierre-Luc Dubois has lengthened the lineup, a necessity as the Kings attempt to win a playoff round for the first time since capturing the Stanley Cup in 2014. Though the injuries have limited his three seasons with the Kings, his impact goes further than the box score as Los Angeles was victorious in the first seven games he appeared in uniform.

MINNESOTA — MARCO ROSSI

One more game could have meant tragedy for Rossi. After the World Juniors with Austria, the Wild’s 2020 first-round pick reported to Minnesota in Jan. 2021 excited to make his NHL debut. Instead, Rossi was devastated when Wild doctors discovered he had myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that can be a complication of COVID-19. Continuing to play hockey could have been life-threatening. Rossi was shut down and kept off the ice and out of the gym for nearly five months before returning to the sport. He went on to make his Wild debut in 2022 but played most of last season in the minors after making the Wild out of training camp but contributing just one assist in 16 games. Determined to become an NHLer, Rossi chose to spend last offseason in Minnesota working with the Wild’s strength coach and skating coach. The transformation was incredible. Noticeably stronger and faster, Rossi became only the second Wild rookie in history to score 20 goals in a season and ranked one behind Chicago’s Connor Bedard for the rookie lead in late March.

MONTRÉAL — JOEL ARMIA

Armia’s season did not start as he hoped. He was ignored on waivers and sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket before the first game of the campaign. The former first round pick kept working hard and once back with the Canadiens, Armia played some of his most consistent hockey during his tenure with the team, particularly in the second half of the season. Coach Martin St-Louis noticed a happier Armia, who credited mental performance coach Jean-François Ménard for his better approach to the game. The 30-year-old Finn no longer gets discouraged after a mistake or a missed opportunity and keeps battling to help the team.  

La saison de Joel Armia n’a pas commencé comme il le souhaitait. Il a été ignoré au ballotage, puis cédé au Rocket de Laval avant le premier match de la campagne. L’ancien choix de premier tour n’a pas baissé les bras et une fois rappelé par le Canadien, il a joué son hockey le plus constant depuis le début de son séjour avec l’équipe, particulièrement en deuxième moitié de saison. L’entraîneur-chef Martin St-Louis a remarqué qu’Armia semblait plus heureux et le Finlandais âgé de 30 ans a crédité l’entraîneur en performance mentale Jean-François Ménard pour expliquer son approche plus positive. Armia a cessé d’être découragé par chaque erreur ou chance ratée et a appris à continuer à se battre pour aider l’équipe. 

NASHVILLE — MICHAEL MCCARRON

A 2013 first-round pick of Montreal, McCarron could never stick with the Canadiens for very long and spent most of his time with the organization in the AHL. After a 2020 trade to Nashville, he again was shuffled back and forth between the big club and Milwaukee. McCarron admitted that all the back and forth was tough on him and he could have given up hockey many times. In mid-December 2022, McCarron entered the NHL/NHLPA players assistance program. After completing it, he spent a couple of more months in Milwaukee before being recalled late last season. He signed a one-year deal and has set career highs in goals and assists, and earned a new two-year, one-way contract. “You don’t think the same when your head’s not right,” he said. “I’m having the breakout year of my career and I think a big part of it is because of that.”

NEW JERSEY — CURTIS LAZAR

It’s difficult to count the number of trials and tribulations Lazar has faced this year. His wife went into labor hours after he was dealt from Vancouver to New Jersey at the 2023 deadline. Immigration issues delayed his Devils debut –– and barred his pregnant wife and two-year-old son Owen from joining him in the United States for months. Then, once he finally settled into a new locker room and lonely Jersey City apartment, he partially tore his MCL twice in a late-season game. Lazar never wavered. He quickly recovered from his injury, scored in the playoffs and, one year later, is having a career-best season with the Devils.

NEW YORK (ISLANDERS) — CAL CLUTTERBUCK

Clutterbuck, the NHL all-time hits leader (since 2005) has spent a career playing with an agitating snarl. His physical style has led to numerous injuries, including a season-ending shoulder issue in 2022 and a nasty skate blade cut to his left wrist in 2019 that left him with some permanent numbness. Yet this season, at age 36, Clutterbuck has a chance to play all 82 games for the first time in his 16 NHL seasons and, with seven goals in his first 71 games, he has a chance to score his most goals since notching 15 in 2015-16. A longtime member of the Islanders’ noted fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin, Clutterbuck is also a well-respected dressing-room leader.

NEW YORK (RANGERS) — JONATHAN QUICK

On the precipice of becoming the winningest American-born goaltender at the time this bio was written, Quick has revived his Hall-of-Fame-worthy NHL career with the Rangers. Quick came off a down year, during which he had to come to terms with the end of his time with the only team he’s ever played for in the Kings and settle into his first ever depth role with the Stanley Cup-winning Golden Knights. Now serving as an integral part to the Rangers’ success this season, the 38-year-old netminder has been among the NHL’s top-10 goalies (min 20 games played) in goals-against average and save percentage, which helped him earn a one-year extension with the Rangers. 

OTTAWA — CLAUDE GIROUX

Claude Giroux has been the epitome of consistency and dedication with the Senators. The 36-year-old has not missed a single regular season game since signing a free agent contract with the club in the summer of 2022. Giroux has also remained one of Ottawa’s most productive forwards and is headed towards another 20-goal, 60-point season. This season, he moved past Jean Beliveau on the all-time assists list and Henri Richard on the all-time points list.

PHILADELPHIA — SEAN COUTURIER

When Couturier underwent his second back surgery in 10 months in October 2022 — after the first failed to fix the initial problem — there was reason to worry about the soon-to-be 30-year-old’s NHL future. His eventual return to action was far from assured, especially after he missed the entirety of 2022-23 due to the injury. But Couturier’s perseverance and dedication to hockey showed in his relentless approach to his rehabilitation process, and this time, it paid off. Couturier was back for Game 1 of the 2023-24 season — his first since December 18, 2021 — and quickly re-established himself as one of the top players on a surprising Flyers club and the team’s unquestioned leader, earning the Flyers’ vacant captain’s “C” in mid-February.

PITTSBURGH — SIDNEY CROSBY

After recently matching Wayne Gretzky’s record for 19 consecutive seasons averaging at point-per-game, Crosby is the singular reason his Penguins remained in playoff contention. Despite increasing frustration — the Penguins are on their third GM this decade, and he’s known long-time winger Jake Guentzel would be traded all season — Crosby remains as accessible as any superstar, carrying the flag for the struggling Penguins while also serving as a public-facing mentor for a new generation of Faces of the NHL. He recorded his 12th 30-goal season and is about to become the 14th player in league history with 1,000 assists. He is about to play 82 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in his storied career, and he’s publicly committed to finishing his career in Pittsburgh.

SAN JOSE — JUSTIN BAILEY

Bailey bounced between the AHL and NHL throughout the first eight years of his professional career and didn’t have a contract to start this season. After spending last season in the AHL, following two shoulder surgeries, the Sharks invited him to camp on a PTO. Bailey earned an AHL contract after camp and impressed enough to sign a two-way deal with the Sharks just over six weeks later. Bailey, who is biracial, experienced racism as a teenager and supports kids who have had similar experiences. “The older you get, the more you realize things you went through as a kid are not really the way they should be,” Bailey said, “and the more you want to step in and do everything you can to help.” 

SEATTLE — JOEY DACCORD

Daccord persevered as a minor leaguer until age 27 before becoming an NHL rookie and MVP of the NHL Winter Classic. He is arguably MVP of the Seattle Kraken, single handedly keeping them in playoff contention after taking over as No. 1 goaltender for injured Philipp Grubauer in December. According to Evolving Hockey, in 23 starts from Dec 10 through the Feb. 15 end of a Kraken road trip and win over Boston, Daccord saved nearly 24 more goals than expected based on shot quality. That two-month total alone would have been eighth highest by any NHL goalie over the entirety of last season. He’s an avid hockey history buff who promotes the game.

ST. LOUIS — NATHAN WALKER

Walker, 30, was born in Wales, but moved to Australia when he was young and is recognized as the first Australian to play in the NHL. In addition to those long odds, Walker is 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds who’s shuttled back and forth from the AHL but continues to force his way onto the NHL roster. For some of the journey, Walker has been by himself while his wife and family remained in Australia. He’s currently in the seventh season in the NHL, and in what continues to be an inspiring career, he recently signed a two-year, one-way contract worth $1.55 million.

TAMPA BAY — MIKEY EYSSIMONT

Eyssimont became an everyday NHL player for the first time this season in his age 27 season, providing the Lightning, his fourth NHL organization hard-nosed, two-way play that’s been needed in a Tampa Bay’s star-studded lineup that’s seen its share of attrition in recent years. He’s added constant pressure on offense, scoring 10 goals in 70 games (only Nikita Kucherov has more shot attempts per 60 minutes on the team). He has been one of the team’s top forecheckers and a player who can get under an opponent’s skin and defend himself and his teammates. Not bad for a player who played in three organizations last season when the Lightning acquired him at the trade deadline. 

TORONTO — ILYA SAMSONOV

Samsonov couldn’t have felt more unwanted than on New Year’s Eve 2023. His game was in tatters, technically and mentally, the club placing him on waivers that day after giving up three goals or more in 10 of his 15 appearances and six in his most recent loss to Columbus. He ranked near the bottom of all NHL goalies in save percentage and when kept away from the team, feared for his future on a one-year contract. But through determination, hard work, supportive coaches, heart-to-heart talks with his parents, and inspired by his wife and baby son, he bounced back in remarkable form. He entered April with a record of 14-3-1 since Jan. 21 and through his first five starts in March his save percentage was .925. He was frank with teammates and media about his struggles, while re-establishing himself as a top-flight goalie with a vital role to come in the playoffs.

VANCOUVER — NOAH JUULSEN

Nine years after he was drafted, Juulsen, 26, has finally fulfilled his first-round promise. After six seasons of mostly being an AHLer — plus a devastating eye injury five years ago that nearly ended his career — he’s become a hard-rock on the Canucks’ blueline. He started the year as the team’s seventh defenceman. But  a dedication to understanding the flaws in his game by working with Canucks assistant coaches Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar has seen him evolve into a player who head coach Rick Tocchet has a hard time taking out of the lineup. He plays the game hard, regularly showing up on highlight reels for his big hits, and he’s rarely, if ever, seen playing the game in the wrong spirit.

VEGAS — ALEX PIETRANGELO

Pietrangelo has remained a constant professional and veteran presence for the Golden Knights throughout his tenure in Vegas, though he wasn’t for a time last season. He took a leave of absence to care for his sick 5-year-old daughter Evelyn, returning only once she returned to health. There were even points where he contemplated retirement to be with his family, but he eventually returned to help Vegas to its first Stanley Cup championship, and Pietrangelo’s second, then played in his 1,000th NHL game this season. 

WASHINGTON — T.J. OSHIE

Six years after famously chugging a beer through his jersey at the Capitals’ Stanley Cup parade, Oshie continues to be the team’s heartbeat. Fighting through chronic back injuries that have sidelined him numerous times, the Warroad, Minnesota, native has reached the 1,000 games milestone. Oshie at 37 still playing with reckless abandon shows how much he cares about playing hockey at the highest level possible despite the risk of aggravating his back. He’s as respected an opponent as he is a beloved teammate and fan favorite. There are few players in the league who personify perseverance, dedication and sportsmanship as much.

WINNIPEG — LAURENT BROSSOIT

The 31-year-old goalie fully recovered from a groin injury that knocked him out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the second round to return to the place his NHL career took off and he has delivered the best season of his NHL career. His ability to provide quality starts as the backup netminder has the Jets in the running to win the Jennings Trophy and has goalie partner Connor Hellebuyck in the mix to win his second Vezina Trophy. Brossoit’s examples of perseverance and sportsmanship include a selfless attitude after a trip to the American Hockey League with the Henderson Silver Knights during the 2022-23 season and overcoming hip and abdominal surgery.