Stalock quickly won over teammates with his off-ice presence and on-ice performance while battling through setbacks ranging from concussions to oculomotor dysfunction, a vision problem that affects the central nervous system. The 35-year-old, 11-year NHL veteran had appeared in one League game over the prior two seasons, having been diagnosed with myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19 in 2019-20. Stalock signed as a free agent with the Blackhawks in July 2022, determined to regain an NHL roster spot. That’s how I was raised - never back down from a challenge or to never quit when you’re down.” “I always kind of took pride to be able to bring it every day. But at the end of the day, I always thought that I was going to push through it and be able to go on the other side and be the same or better,” Letang told The Athletic. “Obviously, there are some tough times, there’s emotional times. Letang is a Masterton Trophy finalist for the second time, finishing as a runner-up to Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk in 2014-15. He ranked 10th among all NHL players in ice time per game (24:51) and recorded 12-29–41 in 64 games. Through it all, he remained a Penguins cornerstone in his 17th season with the club. Letang persevered through a stroke, the second of his lifetime, and mourning the passing of his father within a span of four weeks during the season. “He had to wait a couple of days to start physical therapy, but once he was on the walker, he goes, ‘I’ll be skating in six weeks.’ And then once he started skating, he had already set a goal that he would be ready for opening night, which he was.” “His mental toughness is probably the part I’m most proud of because I know what had to be going through his mind immediately after the injury and the surgery,” his father, Bryan Keller, told PHNX. Keller represented the Coyotes at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game and posted 24 points in March, the most ever in a month by a Coyote. He appeared in all 82 games and set career highs in goals (37), assists (49) and points (86), matching the highest points total by a Coyotes player since the team moved to Arizona (Keith Tkachuk, 52-34-86 in 1996-97). Keller suffered a fractured femur during a game versus the San Jose Sharks on Maand underwent six months of rehab to be ready for the start of what became a career season in 2022-23. ET, TNT, SN, TVAS).įollowing are the finalists for the Masterton Trophy, in alphabetical order: The winner will be revealed live during the 2023 NHL Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Monday, June 26 (8 p.m. The local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters were designated as finalists. NEW YORK (May 9, 2023) – Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock are the three finalists for the 2022-23 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey,” the National Hockey League announced today. Keller, Letang and Stalock Voted Masterton Trophy Finalists The NHL will continue announcing finalists throughout the week. John Carlson was the Capitals’ nominee this season for the trophy but was not selected as one of the finalists. Alex Stalock returned to regular duty as a goaltender after playing just one game the prior two seasons due to being diagnosed with COVID-related myocarditis and fighting through concussion-related symptoms.Kris Letang suffered the second stroke during his playing career and had his father pass away all within a four-week span before eventually returning to the Penguins’ lineup.Clayton Keller broke his femur in March 2022 and went through half a year of rehab to return for this past season which turned out to be a career-best year for him.The Masterton Trophy is awarded to the player judged to “best exemplify the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey”.Īrizona’s Clayton Keller, Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang, and Chicago’s Alex Stalock are all up for the 2023 trophy.Īll three players battled health-related issues to get on the ice this past season. The three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy were revealed on Tuesday. The NHL is continuing to announce the finalists for its end-of-season awards.
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