As the end of the 2022-23 season approaches, it’s time to start thinking about end of season awards. With how tough of a year this has been, there are not many that players in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization will be in the running for. However, the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is one of the few awards with a guaranteed nominee from every team.
The Professional Hockey Writer’s Association (PWHA) released the finalists on Monday and Jackets’ captain Boone Jenner was selected as their nominee. He does check some boxes, but is there a realistic chance that we hear Jenner’s name called at the award ceremony in Nashville this June? There’s a case to be made.
Typical Masterton Winners
Before we look at Jenner specifically, let’s look at the award in general. The Masterton is presented annually to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.” There’s a few archetypes under which award winners fall.
It could be the “elder statesman.” A grizzled veteran who has played in the NHL for a billion years, but is still somehow a useful player, like Jaromir Jagr in 2016. It could be the “late bloomer” who persevered for years in the minors and finally breaks through to become a decent or good NHLer, like when Devan Dubnyk won in 2015.
Over the last several years, it’s gone to a “survivor.” A player who returned to regular league play after a bout with a disease like cancer or addiction. Key examples of that are Robin Lehner and Bobby Ryan, who battled alcoholism, and Oskar Lindblom who survived a cancer diagnosis and returned to the big leagues.
Jenner’s Case for the Masterton
Jenner’s case is an interesting one as he doesn’t fit perfectly in any of those archetypes. He’s not a “late bloomer,” his 10 years of experience don’t quite qualify him as an “elder statesman.” He could be considered a “survivor” though, and he does check the required boxes of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication.
Jenner’s perseverance has been evident in his battle through injuries. His three-week absence this season is one thing, but it’s another when you add in the fact that he came back from an injury at the end of last season. His back had been bothering him throughout the year and by early March, he was forced to stop playing.
“[He’s been dealing with injury for] weeks really, but it got to the point last game where it was almost demobilizing for him and he was crushed. We talked after the game and he was like a crushed soul.”
Blue Jackets’ head coach Brad Larsen said of Jenner after injury ended his season in 2021-22.
To persevere through an injury as physically and mentally taxing as he did, into the second most productive season of his career is impressive. His sportsmanship is always on display as he seldom making plays that could be considered dirty. And his dedication is prevalent in his “never take a shift off” attitude despite his team’s place in the standings. So, while he doesn’t fit any archetype of a typical Masterton winner, he is a worthy nominee.
Other Cases for the Masterton
As is the norm for this award year-to-year, there are a multitude of worthy candidates in each archetype. There are a couple of elder statesmen in Mark Giordano and Zach Parise. Giordano is on pace to play all but two games for the Toronto Maple Leafs as the NHL’s oldest skater, while averaging almost 20 minutes a night. Parise scored 20 goals for the New York Islanders, which is the 11th time he’s hit that milestone in his career. The 38-year-old is only a couple years out from being bought out of a massive contract by the Minnesota Wild.
Related: Islanders Parise Still Contributing Despite Age
There’s a couple late bloomer candidates, like the Montreal Canadiens’ Alex Belzile who scored his first NHL goal this year at age 31. Another is Los Angeles Kings’ goalie Pheonix Copley. Also 31, Copley won 20 of his first 29 games after only playing two NHL games over the last five years.
Despite all the nominees, the award tends to be given to those in the survivor category. So, I would be surprised if one of Kris Letang or Clayton Keller didn’t get the nod in June.
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Letang suffered a stroke in November, yet somehow made his way back to the ice in less than two weeks. It was the 35-year-old’s second stroke that he’s rebounded from in his career, among a multitude of other injuries. Despite that, he’s still on pace to eclipse 40 points from the blue line for the 10th time.
Keller has emerged as an NHL superstar with the Arizona Coyotes. He fractured his right femur into two clean pieces right at the end of last season, yet returned ahead of schedule in time for opening night. According to the PHWA, the 24-year-old hired a battery of specialists with his own money over the offseason. They helped him with everything from movement and mental state to on-ice strategy. It’s paid off as he’s blossomed into one of the league’s most dynamic players in the second half of this season.
Ultimately, I don’t think Jenner’s name will be called at the awards ceremony in Nashville this June. There’s just too many other worthy survivors. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had a stand-out year — Jenner survived injury and stepped up his game to another level in a year when it was needed. His continued emergence as a captain has been one of the few highlights of the Jackets’ season and it’s worthy of some recognition, if not the Masterton Trophy.