The Columbus chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association has nominated Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the club announced today. The award is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Monahan, 30, has registered 18 goals and 32 assists for 50 points with 18 penalty minutes and a +15 plus/minus rating, while averaging 19:17 TOI per game and winning 52.2 percent of his faceoffs in 49 appearances this season. He leads Columbus in points per game (1.02), ranks third in assists and plus/minus rating and is fourth in points. His ice time (19:37 with Calgary in 2014-15) and points per game (1.05 with Calgary in 2018-19) are the second-highest of his career and his point total is the second-highest since he tallied a career-best 34-48-82 in 78 games with the Flames in 2018-19.
Signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on July 1, 2024, the Brampton, Ontario native has registered 262-326-588 and 199 penalty minutes in 813 career games with the Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens and Flames over 12 NHL seasons. He was Calgary’s first pick, sixth overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft and played nine seasons with the Flames from 2013-22.
The winner of the Masterton Trophy is selected by a poll of the 32 chapters of the PHWA at the conclusion of the regular season. The trophy was first presented by the NHL writers in 1968 in honor of the late Bill Masterton, a player for the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited the qualities for which the trophy embodies, and who died on Jan. 15, 1968. Last season’s winner was Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Hockey Club). Previous Blue Jackets nominees for the award include: Kevin Dineen (2000-01 and 2001-02, finalist both years), Luke Richardson (2002-03), Manny Malhotra (2003-04), Duvie Westcott (2005-06), Fredrik Norrena (2006-07), Pascal Leclaire (2007-08), Raffi Torres (2008-09), Jared Boll (2009-10), Derek MacKenzie (2010-11), Curtis Sanford (2011-12), Vinny Prospal (2012-13), Nick Foligno (2013-14, 2014-15 and finalist in 2018-19), Fedor Tyutin (2015-16), Sergei Bobrovsky (2016-17), Zach Werenski (2017-18 and 2023-24), Nathan Gerbe (2019-20), Zac Dalpe (2020-21), Justin Danforth (2021-22) and Boone Jenner (2022-23).
The Blue Jackets return to action on Thursday when they host the Buffalo Sabres. Game time from Nationwide Arena is 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage on FanDuel Sports Network and the FanDuel Sports Network app begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network, including 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.
