The Islanders chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) nominated Mike Reilly for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Wednesday morning.
The PHWA nominates one player per NHL club for the Masterton, which is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The three Masterton finalists will be announced at a later date.
Reilly underwent a procedure for a previously undiagnosed heart condition in November, which kept him out of the lineup for four months, before returning to game action.
“I’m very grateful. There was a lot of people in my corner, the training staff, Lou, looking out for my best interest,” Reilly said before returning to game action on March 16. “The organization has been supportive from the start.”
Reilly has two assists in 17 games, along with 13 blocked shots.
Robin Lehner (2019) was the Islanders most recent winner of the Masterton trophy. Mark Fitzpatrick (1992) and Ed Westfall (1977) are the two other Islanders to have won the award.
