The NHL has announced the winners of a few awards and trophies this week, including the Selke and Ted Lindsay. Today, the league announced that Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan is this year’s recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”
Monahan, 30, signed a five-year contract with Columbus in free agency last season. One of the reasons for doing so was having a chance to reunite with his close friend and longtime Flames linemate, Johnny Gaudreau. Yet Monahan’s and the entire NHL season were overshadowed when Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were struck and killed by a drunk driver while cycling near their New Jersey home in late August, weeks before training camp began.
The Blue Jackets responded by staying in the playoff race until the final days of the regular season, a far better finish than anyone expected. That success was fueled in large part by Monahan, who recorded a career-high 0.70 assists per game and 1.06 points per game while also earning Selke votes for the second time in his 12-year career. He logged 57 points in 54 games, on pace to lead Columbus in scoring if not for missing nearly 30 games in the second half of the season with a wrist injury.
This year’s other finalists were Wild goaltender Marc-André Fleury, whose 2024-25 season was the last of a Hall-of-Fame career spanning 21 seasons, and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, who returned to the ice in the postseason after a nearly three-year absence due to a knee injury.
While the 2025 NHL Awards ceremony will be held before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, the league has been surprising the winners of other honors in the days leading up to it.
What a joke Monahan where js the surprise he is commonly injured every year. Landeskog hasn’t played in years but yet continued to work his tail off to recover in time to play in the playoffs. Landeskog should’ve won every vote the choice wasn’t even close this season!
smh
Tell me if I understand your theory: You are angry because Sean Monahan won this award because he gets injured and misses games but also believe that Gabriel Landeskog should have won the award because he got injured and missed more games.
Guy played zero regular season games and you think he should win an award for a 1st round exit?
Monahan would infinitely rather have his friend than this award. Much respect for the character he showed throughout, to Johnnys family and to the hockey community. Still bums me out
I’m with DarkSide830 – obviously some trolls or people who clearly don’t understand what this award is about. Says a lot when MAF is a clear 3rd (IMO). My vote would have been Gabe but obviously no qualms whatsoever with Sean winning. The video of Johnny’s wife surprising him with the trophy is incredibly special
I like this a lot. Monahan found himself in a very difficult situation and the team rallied around him. He performed as the team did— much better than expected, playing spirited hockey, especially in front of a grieving Columbus crowd. Columbus not rolling over was a fantastic story this hockey season.
It’s Landy’s to lose next season, provided he stays relatively healthy.