The Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) announced today they have nominated Flyers goaltender, Ivan Fedotov, for the 2024-25 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The trophy is awarded annually under the trusteeship of the PHWA and is given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Fedotov, 28 (11/28/96), joined the Flyers at the end of the 2023-24 season earning a position in the NHL following nearly a decade after being drafted by the club in 2015 in the seventh round (188th overall). The 6-foot-7, 214-pound goaltender appeared in 25 games this season including 23 starts and a 6-13-3 record, while often going long stretches between playing.
"Ivan is an ideal choice to represent the Flyers as the Masterton nominee," said Daniel Briere, Flyers General Manager. "He never gave up on his dream of playing the NHL after being drafted nearly 10 years earlier in the seventh round. However, it is the level of resiliency he displays on a daily basis throughout the season, whether at practice or when called upon to start, that continues to impress me, the coaches and his teammates."
“This is a surprise to me. I don’t concentrate about it too much so it’s just a good, good feeling,” said Fedotov. “It’s been my dream all time to play in the NHL. Every kid when he’s growing up probably have a dream to play in the best league in the world. So of course it’s a long way, long road for me. Finally, I’m here where I want to be.”
Before joining the Flyers, Fedotov spent seven seasons playing in both the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the Vysshaya Hockey League (VHL). In 133 KHL games, the goaltender had a 61-55-8 record, along with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. His standout 2021-22 season earned him KHL Best Goaltender honors and a spot on the KHL First All-Star Team. On the international stage, Fedotov was a member of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and earned a silver medal at the 2022 Olympic Games, recording a 4-2-0 record with two shutouts, a 1.61 goals-against average, and a .943 save percentage.
The PHWA chapter in each market of the 32 NHL clubs nominates one player from that team to be considered for the Masterton. The three finalists, and ultimately the winner, are selected by a poll among the 32 chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL Writers' Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars, who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and who died January 15, 1968.
The Philadelphia Flyers have had four winners of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: Bobby Clarke (1971-72), Tim Kerr (1988-89), Ian Laperriere (2010-11) and Oskar Lindblom (2020-21).
Most recent Flyers nominees by the PHWA for the Masterton are:
2023-24: Sean Couturier
2022-23: Nick Seeler
2021-22: Kevin Hayes (finalist)
2020-21: Oskar Lindblom (winner)
2019-20: Oskar Lindblom (finalist)
2018-19: Brian Elliott
2017-18: Claude Giroux
2016-17: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
2015-16: Shayne Gostisbehere
