BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY

The 'Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy' is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the ''Professional Hockey Writers' Association'' after each teams nominates one player in competition. It is often awarded to a player who has comeback from career- or even life-threatening illness or injury. A player can win this trophy only once in his career.

Contents

History

Winners

See also

References

Notes

External links

History

The trophy is named in honour of the late Bill Masterton, a Minnesota North Stars player who died on January 15, 1968, after sustaining an injury during a hockey game.^[1] During his playing career, Masterton exhibited "to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey". It was first awarded following the 1967-68 regular season. As of the end of the 2006-07 NHL season, players for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins have won the trophy 4 times each, while the Los Angeles Kings have won 3 times. Due to the nature of the award, no player has ever won it more than once.

Winners

Mario Lemieux, the winner for the 1992-93 season.

Saku Koivu, the winner for the 2001-02 season.

Teemu Selanne, the winner for the 2005-06 season

Season	Winner	Team	Reasons for winning
1967-68		Montreal Canadiens	"Embodied the definition of perseverance and dedication to hockey" throught his 15 year career.[2]
1968-69		Oakland Seals	Had his best statistical year year on a recent expansion team.[3]
1969-70		Chicago Black Hawks	After denouncing his team at the end of the 1968-69 NHL season, Martin and his team came back with a first place, and Martin had 30 goals and 33 assists for 60 points.[4]
1970-71		New York Rangers	A 20 year veteran, he won the trophy for a "lifelong dedication to strong, clean hockey".[5]
1971-72		Philadelphia Flyers	Overcame diabetes to play in the NHL.[6]
1972-73		Pittsburgh Penguins	Overcame severe ligament and cartilage damage to his knee and scored 34 goals and 41 assists for 75 points during the 1972-73 NHL season[7]
1973-74		Montreal Canadiens	This honoured a career with 11 Stanley Cups.[8]
1974-75		Buffalo Sabres	Awarded for perseverance and dedication, after a 38-point increase in scoring from the previous season.[9]
1975-76		New York Rangers	Overcame a serious back injury early during his career.[10]
1976-77		New York Islanders	Awarded for being a good leader.[11]
1977-78		Los Angeles Kings	Made the NHL despite his small overall stature and weight, and had consistently good seasons.[12]
1978-79		Montreal Canadiens	Awarded for "dedication to hockey", after he won his 8th Stanley Cup in eleven seasons.[13]
1979-80		Minnesota North Stars	Rewarded for his perseverance after scoring a career high 42 goals and 51 assists for 93 points.[14]
1980-81		St. Louis Blues	Although he was a star in junior hockey, he only broke out during the 1980-81 NHL season, after being drafted during the 1973-74 NHL season, by scoring 20 goals and 67 assists for 87 points. It was awarded for perseverance.[15]
1981-82		Colorado Rockies	Awarded for perseverance, as he gave his young team more confidence while he served as goaltender.[16]
1982-83		Calgary Flames	Presented for his dedication; he was traded around the league numerous times, and when he was traded to the Flames, he scored 66 goals and 32 assists for 98 points.[17]
1983-84		Detroit Red Wings	Awarded for his dedication to hockey[18]
1984-85		New York Rangers	He was recognized for a dedicated career, and unlike many other winners, for an exceptional season as well.[19]
1985-86		Boston Bruins	Overcame serious ligament damage to his knee to score 60 points.[20]
1986-87		Hartford Whalers	Awarded after he beat Garry Unger's record for consecutive games played, with 914 games.[21]
1987-88		Los Angeles Kings	Awarded for exemplifying the qualities of dedication and perseverance.[22]
1988-89		Philadelphia Flyers	He returned to score 48 goals and 40 assists for 88 points in 69 points after overcoming severe knee and shoulder injuries, as well as aseptic meningitis the season before.[23]
1989-90		Boston Bruins	Tried to overcome severe knee injuries, but after playing two games after his 10th knee operation, he retired.[24]
1990-91		Los Angeles Kings	Played all his 17 seasons with the Kings, and was honored for his dedication.[25]
1991-92		New York Islanders	Ovecame eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, a potentially life-threatening disease, and returned to the NHL.[26]
1992-93		Pittsburgh Penguins	Scored 69 goals and 91 assists for 160 points, despite missing 24 games due to non-Hodgkins lymphoma[27]
1993-94		Boston Bruins	Awarded "to recognize his valiant efforts to return to NHL action after suffering career-threatening injuries"; however he retired after 1995-96 NHL season due to them.[28]
1994-95		Buffalo Sabres	Overcame serous head injury[29]
1995-96		Calgary Flames	Successfully recovered from possibly career-ending surgery to correct bone spurs and nerve damage[30]
1996-97		San Jose Sharks	Overcame possibly career-ending brain injury sustained during 1995-96 NHL season to score 25 goals during the 1996-97 NHL season[31]
1997-98		St. Louis Blues	Overcame bacterial meningitis[32]
1998-99		Tampa Bay Lightning	Overcame non-Hodgkins lymphoma[33]
1999-00		New Jersey Devils	Ovecame alcoholism.[34]
2000-01		New York Rangers	Awarded for all-around dedication to hockey[35]
2001-02		Montreal Canadiens	Overcame non-Hodgkins lymphoma[36]
2002-03		Detroit Red Wings	Eventually overcame several health problems, but played only a small part of the 2002-03 NHL season[37]
2003-04		Chicago Blackhawks	Overcame an eye injury that left him legally blind in that eye to play again in the NHL.[38]
2004-05	zzz	-	-
2005-06		Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	Overcame major knee surgery to score 90 points (40 goals and 50 assists)[39]
2006-07		Boston Bruins	Missed 12 games due to testicular cancer mid season.[40]

See also

★ List of NHL players

★ List of NHL statistical leaders

References

★ National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book, , Ralph, Dinger, Dan Diamond, ,

Notes

1. Dinger, p.201
2. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Claude Provost
3. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Ted Hampson
4. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Pit Martin
5. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Jean Ratelle
6. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Bobby Clarke
7. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Lowell MacDonald
8. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Henri Richard
9. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Don Luce
10. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Rod Gilbert
11. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Ed Westfall
12. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Butch Goring
13. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Serge Savard
14. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Al MacAdam
15. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Blake Dunlop
16. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Glenn Resch
17. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Lanny McDonald
18. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Brad Park
19. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Anders Hedberg
20. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Charlie Simmer
21. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Doug Jarvis
22. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Bob Bourne
23. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Tim Kerr
24. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Gord Kluzak
25. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Dave Taylor
26. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Mark Fitzpatrick
27. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Mario Lemieux
28. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Cam Neely
29. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Pat LaFontaine
30. Gary R. Roberts
31. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Tony Granato
32. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Jamie McLellan
33. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: John Cullen
34. New Jersey Devils retire number of long-time defenceman Ken Daneyko
35. Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner: Adam Graves
36. Light shines bright on Koivu, and his prospects for life Chris Stevenson
37. Steve Gregory Yzerman
38. The visor debate: Berard says they should not be mandatory
39. Teemu Selanne: Back in a flash
40. Kessel resting after cancer surgery

External links

★ NHL.com