Unlike last year, we had a consensus winner for the Masterton this time around. A reminder (as this one may be a bit more obscure), the Masterton goes out to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. Last year the award was taken home by Vinny Prospal, so we’ll obviously have a new player take home this hardware. The champion is something of a no brainer, but the tUB team was all over the map in the second and third place votes. Continue on to find out the winner….
WINNER: Nick Foligno
AlisonL (1): “Nick certainly had a rough year with the birth and care for his first child who was born with a significant health issue. He continued to show his dedication to the team and play – ending the regular season 5th in points with 39 and that massively huge game winner in game 4 (that he called in the locker room before hand). Nick is a heart and soul guy, a quality guy and someone who gives his all to the game and his community – including helping to run a breast cancer charity in honor of his mother who lost her battle with the disease.”
CBJProspects (1): “…”
GregIn120 (1): “Having to battle through some tough personal issues since early in the season, nobody persevered more than Nick Foligno this season. He was the heart and soul of this team. That’s good enough to get my vote.”
The Coach (1): “The story has been told, and the details have been rehashed here by my compatriots, so I will mostly let it be. But think about what kind of dedication it takes to work through those kinds of issues. We sometimes forget that these players are people, and thinking back on what the Foligno’s went through this season, there could be no other winner for this award (plus he was the team’s actual nominee in real life).”
Runner Up: Ryan Johansen
GregIn120 (2): “From getting benched in the AHL playoffs last year for Springfield at the end of a disappointing season to becoming arguably the CBJ best player this year. No player stepped his game and showed more dedication to the sport this year than Joey.”
The Coach (3): “Johansen came a long way from being a healthy scratch in the AHL last season to being the franchise cornerstone he looks like he’s becoming. That doesn’t just happen. It takes a massive amount of dedication to training and practice to make that kind of leap that quickly. Note: RJ Umberger would have been my third place vote had this been posted last week, per the massive amount of injuries he played through. But his recent trade request being made public changes things. ”
Honorable Mentions
AlisonL: Mark Letestu (2): “You can’t deny that the Letestu trade was a real gem. Mark played on the key 4th line that often flipped on the energy switch for the team. While not a huge year on the scoresheet for him, his role was invaluable and he and his wife have made Columbus their home and have made giving back to the community a priority. They see it as their duty not just something to do for PR purposes.”
CBJProspects: Derek MacKenzie (2): “…”
The Coach: Curtis McElhinney (2): “From looking like he might be on his way out of hockey, to back in the NHL over a couple of years requires a lot of work and dedication to the sport. McElhinney was injury riddled and barely played with Phoenix, and ended up as contract fodder to make the Vermette trade work. He busted his ass to get back on the ice, dominated in Springfield last year, and worked his way back to the NHL this season.”
AlisonL: Ryan Murray & Boone Jenner (3): “These two rookies lit up the team, and showed maturity far beyond their years interacting with the community and people around the team. But they get this vote mainly for the long lasting relationship they formed with young Maggie – a Blue Jackets Foundation Hero. The boys met her during a visit to Children’s Hospital and put in the time to really support her through her battle against cancer throughout the year. The relationship wasn’t just a show up for scheduled things – it went far deeper and was pretty incredible.”
CBJProspects: Matt Calvert (3): “…”
GregIn120: Jack Johnson (3): “When JJ learned he wasn’t going to make the Olympic team, he didn’t throw a huge tantrum, although that’s what the media and the fans seemed to want him to do. Instead, he kept his mouth shut for the most part, played hard and elevated his game.”
Check back in later this week for the winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. Will Brandon Dubinsky repeat? Find out Thursday.
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