Jets’ Toews named Masterton finalist

Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews has been named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The award is presented annually to the NHL player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey” and is voted on by approximately 300 members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Toews certainly fits the bill. The 38-year-old Winnipegger returned to the sport this past season following a two-year health-related hiatus caused by long COVID and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

The three-time Stanley Cup winner and long-time captain of the Chicago Blackhawks signed with his hometown Jets and played all 82 games, recording 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in the process. He was one of the league leaders in faceoff percentage (62.1 per cent) and served as a mentor to many of Winnipeg’s young players.

Toews is as decorated as they come and a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. He has played in 1,149 career NHL games and already has several awards in his trophy cabinet: the 2010 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP, the 2012-13 Frank J. Selke as the league’s best defensive forward, and the 2014-15 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.

“I’m honoured by this recognition,” Toews said last month after being voted by the local chapter of the PHWA — which includes Free Press hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe — as the Winnipeg nominee.

Toews has not yet decided whether he plans to retire or return for one more season.

Colorado Avalanche forward Gabe Landeskog and Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin are the other two finalists for the Masterton.

Landeskog’s story is similar to Toews’. He missed three regular seasons with knee injuries, becoming the first NHL player to return to action after undergoing knee cartilage replacement surgery in 2023. He resumed his career last spring during Colorado’s playoff run and played in 60 regular-season games this past season — missing the other 22 due to broken ribs.

The Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy this year (55-16-11), going 45-7-8 with Landeskog in the lineup and just 10-9-3 without him.

Dahlin set a new career high in points with 74 despite dealing with some tragic personal circumstances. His fiancée, Carolina Matovac, suffered heart failure last summer and spent several weeks on life support. She eventually received a heart transplant which required months of hospitalization and rehabilitation.

Dahlin juggled his professional and personal life, often making quick trips back to Sweden to be with her. Matovac was cleared to fly to Buffalo in March. Tragically, she revealed the couple’s unborn child had passed.

The winner of the Masterton will be announced in June. The award is named in honour of Winnipegger William “Bill” John Masterton, who died in 1968 at the age of 29 after suffering massive head trauma caused by a hit during a game two days earlier.

Masterton was a rookie centre with the Minnesota North Stars and scored their first goal in franchise history during that expansion season. He is believed to be the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game.

A grant from the PHWA is sent each year on behalf of the winner to a scholarship fund in Masterton’s name which is based in Bloomington, Minn.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre