LAS VEGAS – As the Kraken prepared for a nighttime matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights, some teammates and head coach Dan Bylsma were happy to take a few minutes to talk about teammate Jaden Schwartz’s nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The annual award goes to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport of hockey.
“Jaden’s got a great kind of calm-veteran sense about his approach to the game,” said Bylsma, who recently noted ‘we didn’t miss Ebs’ voice as much because of Schwartz’ while referencing Jordan Eberle’s 40-game absence from the Kraken lineup. “Being a pro each and every day, each and every night is what the young guys notice.”
One of those young guys, center Shane Wright, concurs: “I can learn a lot from him. He's definitely a role model for me, just his habits, on and off the ice, and how hard he works to take care of himself. He’s always in the gym, warming up and stretching and just making sure his body's prepared.”
Jared McCann has been Schwartz’s teammate since day one of the expansion franchise. He’s watched and admired the Masterton nominee’s commitment to getting back to the ice when out with an injury and how this season Schwartz has to date missed just one game after missing 20 games last year and nearly half a season back in 2021-22. Such dedication is all the more formidable when considering the 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward emphasizes a strong, consistent and unafraid net-front presence in his game while surpassing 800 career NHL regular season games this season.
Go-To Guy for Younger and Veteran Forwards Alike
“He is great for guys like Wrighter and even Matty still, go to him for absolutely everything,” said McCann, whose 21 goals is third behind Schwartz’s 24 and Eeli Tolvanen at 22. “He's a guy that even I go to sometimes. A lot of our teammates look up to him. He's been battling injuries. He's just grinded all year, so he deserves [the nomination].
“He takes such good care of his body. Even when we're on the road, he'll fly in an acupuncture [specialist] just to get his body in the right spot. It says a lot about him.”
A lesser known by fans part of Schwartz's hockey repertoire is his stellar and appreciated sense of humor in the team locker room and plane, plus wherever players might be dining (sometimes at Schwartz’s home). Schwartz is a warrior, yes, most definitely, but he has a grin to his game, too – one recent example is he could not hold back a smile explaining a recent game-winning goal scored by Andre Burakovsky.
“[Schwartz] is a funny guy in the room with us, hanging out with us,” said Wright. “He's always making guys laugh. He's always cracking jokes. He's always wanted to keep it light around the room and it's definitely something he brings as well.”
Local Media’s Respect and Rationale
The Masterton nominees are voted on by local Professional Hockey Writers’ Association chapters. The Seattle chapter nominated the veteran forward for the second time, the first being in the 2021-22 inaugural season. Each NHL team has a nominee, which the PHWA will narrow to three finalists, with the winner announced at a later date.
This spring, the local writers chose Schwartz for closing 80 or 81 games for the first time since the 2013-14 season, proving a veteran leader “who does more than lead them in goals this season.”
“The 32-year-old serves as an alternate captain for a franchise that has gone through and is still undergoing change,” continued the local PHWA rationale submitted for the award named after the late and former Minnesota North Stars player Bill Masterton. “Whether it be a new coaching staff to ushering the first wave of prospects down to moving on from key players such as Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev with the latter two forwards being two members of the first team in franchise history. Having a venerable presence like Schwartz has made him a bridge for a franchise looking to take the next step.”
