Masterton 2015 Finalists

Alexander the Gr8

Registered User
May 2, 2013
31,593
12,656
Toronto
Letang came back from a stroke and is back on IR with yet another concussion. He should seriously consider retirement before his brain becomes mashed potatoes. He's going to become the next Pronger.
 

CanadienShark

Registered User
Dec 18, 2012
37,357
10,609
Holy crap, that's actually three guys who are interesting players for once. The trophy means little, but I'm kind of intrigued to see who wins now.

Thinking about it more, the award is typically given to people who overcome illnesses or injuries. Then Letang is probably the front runner for it. And it doesn't hurt that he had an awesome season.
 

tp71

Enjoy every sandwich
Feb 10, 2009
10,322
474
London
It's refreshing that the voters didn't just go for the typical <player-gets-sick-follows-doctors-orders-and-recovers-and-plays-hockey-again> that typically seems to happen. Letang's case is exceptional and he will probably win it and deserve it, but Hammond and Dubnyk are both good stories.

Hate to pile onto Kessel, and don't want to minimize any type of cancer, but his win was kind of ridiculous and is what's wrong with this award many times. There was never any possibility that he would retire and end up driving a taxi cab back in Wisconsin. He got a serious but treatable disease, he got treatment and he got back to playing hockey. Same with Määttä this year, he had the surgery and returned 2 weeks later.

The 'thirty year old rookie' kind of story, and similar, is what this award should be about.

He did lose a testicle.
 

Ragamuffin Gunner

Lost in the Flood
Aug 15, 2008
34,551
6,735
Boston
Letang came back from a stroke and is back on IR with yet another concussion. He should seriously consider retirement before his brain becomes mashed potatoes. He's going to become the next Pronger.

Really loving all the concern you have for the Pens. Between wanting Tang to retire for his health and wanting the Pens to trade Malkin for better depth I'm wondering if you're really a Pens fan at heart.
 

Inkling

Same Old Hockey
Nov 27, 2006
5,655
679
Ottawa
He did lose a testicle.

Fair enough, it was a serious medical condition. Not sure why it deserved a Masterton though.

Returning to the NHL and his multi-million dollar contract after his treatment did not take "perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication", it only took one, maybe two, brain cells.
 

Shrimper

Trick or ruddy treat
Feb 20, 2010
104,167
5,248
Essex
Letang came back from a stroke and is back on IR with yet another concussion. He should seriously consider retirement before his brain becomes mashed potatoes. He's going to become the next Pronger.

It would be ridiculous for him to retire. Not happening.
 

Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk

Effortless sexy.
Jul 13, 2006
12,719
1,049
Cumberland
Glad that Burger Boy had a nod but he and Dubnyk had no adversity to deal with right? One got traded and the other got the nod because of injuries.

Didn't Jordin Tootoo overcome alcoholism over the past while and I'm pretty sure another player lost a close relative to illness, not to mention Nick Foligno's own battle with family loss/illness.

Letang is the only one here I'd vote for, he dealt with severe illness/injury over the past year.
 

Alexander the Gr8

Registered User
May 2, 2013
31,593
12,656
Toronto
Really loving all the concern you have for the Pens. Between wanting Tang to retire for his health and wanting the Pens to trade Malkin for better depth I'm wondering if you're really a Pens fan at heart.
It would be ridiculous for him to retire. Not happening.

Well, concussions are the plague of pro sports. Pronger, Lindros, Marc Savard and many enforcers had their careers ended by concussions. They also had their lives ruined by those injuries, some of them fell into depression (Pronger) and others went as far as suicide.

Letang has had many concussions already, the next one could potentially end his career. Skinner is going down the same path as Letang. The stroke is a freak accident, but it is worrisome at such a young age. Letang may be a Pens player, but I don't hate him because he's good and he comes from Quebec. I don't hate Crosby, Malkin and Maatta either, but that's it. The other players I am either indifferent to them or I hate them. Overall, I hate the Pens with a passion, but it's mostly because of the rivalry.

And for trading Malkin, it is just an opinion that many people share with me.
 

leafsgirl12

Registered User
Apr 29, 2014
1,373
143
Canada
Glad that Burger Boy had a nod but he and Dubnyk had no adversity to deal with right? One got traded and the other got the nod because of injuries.

Didn't Jordin Tootoo overcome alcoholism over the past while and I'm pretty sure another player lost a close relative to illness, not to mention Nick Foligno's own battle with family loss/illness.

Letang is the only one here I'd vote for, he dealt with severe illness/injury over the past year.
Tootoo and Foligno were nominated by there teams but the sports reporters didn't vote for them or very few did.
 

Church of Toews*

Guest
Who else was their to nominate though?

Off the top of my head


Jagr (only player from the 92 draft class and only player in NHL 94 still in the league let that sink in lol)

in terms of hardship and in somewhat homer like fashion Scott Darling battled Alcoholism and depression Blackhawks took a chance on this hometown kid after Nashville didn't see much in him and have never looked back.

Also Parise and Suter possibly with deaths in their families and still putting up good numbers


EDIT: Also Nick Foligno for nearly losing his child after birth
 

tp71

Enjoy every sandwich
Feb 10, 2009
10,322
474
London
Off the top of my head


Jagr (only player from the 92 draft class and only player in NHL 94 still in the league let that sink in lol)

in terms of hardship and in somewhat homer like fashion Scott Darling battled Alcoholism and depression Blackhawks took a chance on this hometown kid after Nashville didn't see much in him and have never looked back.

Also Parise and Suter possibly with deaths in their families and still putting up good numbers


EDIT: Also Nick Foligno for nearly losing his child after birth

Nick Foligno was nominated by his team, but was not one of the top 3 vote getters. A lot of posters need to realize that there are 30 nominations for this award. One from each team. The 3 "nominations" are the top 3 vote getters. That's it.
 

leafsgirl12

Registered User
Apr 29, 2014
1,373
143
Canada
Nick Foligno was nominated by his team, but was not one of the top 3 vote getters. A lot of posters need to realize that there are 30 nominations for this award. One from each team. The 3 "nominations" are the top 3 vote getters. That's it.

the sports reporters could of voted for the most deserving players i truly don't think Dubnyk and Hammond should be in the top 3 they should of reviewed all the players nominated better and why they were nominated. Only Letang is deserving to be in the top 3 .
 

playasRus

Registered User
Mar 21, 2009
9,284
2,015
I don't know how you can say it is a recovery ward prize being that only one out of the 3 nominees has suffered an injury and has recovered from it.

I think the history of the trophy:

Moore - Wife had cancer
Harding - MS
Paccioretty - Charaed
Laperrier - Postconcuss syndrome
Theodore - Son's death
Sullivan , Koivu...etc

All overcame something injury/death/disease related.

Award is for perserverance, sportsmanship and dedication.

Hammond and Dubnyk are solid nominees. One stuck through til 27-28? Despite not really having any prospects of making it. Dybnyk bounced around from bad team to bad team to become a Vezina worthy goalie.
 

tp71

Enjoy every sandwich
Feb 10, 2009
10,322
474
London
the sports reporters could of voted for the most deserving players i truly don't think Dubnyk and Hammond should be in the top 3 they should of reviewed all the players nominated better and why they were nominated. Only Letang is deserving to be in the top 3 .

I don't like judging whether they got this award right or not, because frankly imo they all deserve it.
 

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