The NHL season is nearing its final week, and soon we will find out who the nominees and winners are for the league's major awards. On Wednesday, the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) announced their nominees for the Masterton Trophy.
The Masterton Trophy is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. In simpler terms, it's used to reward players for battling through extreme circumstances to play the game. Typically, this means guys who have suffered career threatening injuries, mental health struggles, or other serious issues to play in the NHL.
This year, the Blue Jackets nominee for the Masterton is Sean Monahan. He's the obvious choice in my opinion, and there's a pretty good chance that he could win the award. He would be deserving.
Signed by the team as an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, Monahan came to Columbus to play with long-time friend and former teammate Johnny Gaudreau. As the summer neared its end, there was a buzz and excitement around the team because these two would give this franchise a legitimate top line, the likes of which we've never really seen before.
It all came crashing down on August 29th, when Johnny and his brother Matthew were struck by a car and killed while riding their bicycles. The devastating tragedy struck the organization and hockey world hard - but perhaps nobody outside of the Gaudreau family would have been more impacted than Sean Monahan.
In a regular free agency period, it's hard to imagine the top available center signing with a team that finished in the bottom five of the standings in the prior season. Sean chose Columbus to play with his best friend, to bring their families closer together, and to raise their kids together.
With everything that happened, he could have taken it easy this year. I don't honestly think anyone would have blamed him if he took some time to get through things.
Instead, he immediately became a leader on and off the ice. He helped his new teammates through the tragedy, and took the reins as their top line center this season. In a year where they were picked by almost everyone to finish dead last, Monahan's 18 goals and 50 points (49gp) have helped this team stay in the playoff hunt. Even after missing time with a broken wrist, he's stepped right back into the lineup and been productive.
Beyond the on-ice production, he has gained the respect and adoration of the entire team. Mark Scheig of the Hockey Writers shared a lot of thoughts from throughout the organization, but this one really stood out for me:
"He (Monahan) is one of the best guys I’ve ever met in hockey. The tragedy would happen to him and to all of us but I know he is probably feeling it the most. He lost his best friend and to be able to still be the type of guy that he is, is pretty, pretty inspiring."Adam Fantilli to THW
Monahan is exactly the kind of player you want to have around, setting the example for your developing prospects. On and off the ice, his value to this organization has extended so far beyond what he's paid. I can think of no better nominee for the Masterton Trophy.