The National Hockey League announced today the three finalists for the 2023-24 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”
Here is a look at the finalists for the Masterton Trophy.
Frederik Andersen
Following a 4-1-0 start to the regular season, Andersen was informed doctors had discovered a blood clotting issue affecting the 11-year NHL veteran. He missed 49 games over four months from Nov. 4 to March 7. After returning to the lineup – a process complicated by limited access to ice during treatment – Andersen posted a 9-1-0 record, 1.30 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and three shutouts, helping the Hurricanes finish the season third in the NHL overall standings.
In April 7, he recorded his 294th win in his 494th NHL game and surpassed Braden Holtby (293 wins in 500 games) for most goaltender wins in his first 500 career games. Andersen joined the Hurricanes in 2021, signing as a free agent after five seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Connor Ingram
Ingram nearly retired due to an undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and lingering depression before he sought help through the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program in 2021, which he credits with turning his life and career around.
Claimed off waivers by Arizona in October 2022, Ingram appeared in 27 games for the club in 2022-23 and established himself as the Coyotes top goaltender in 2023-24, posting a 23-21-3 record, 2.91 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, and a League-best (tie) six shutouts in 50 appearances
Oliver Kylington
Kylington returned to the Flames lineup in late January after more than a year and a half away from the team. While Kylington has preferred not to share all the details of his extended absence for mental health reasons, the 2nd-round pick by Calgary in the 2015 NHL Draft revealed as he returned to action that he’d worried he might be unable to resume his promising career.
Kylington, who continued to work with the Flames’ support staff through his time away from the game, became a fixture on Calgary’s blueline, skating an average of 17:15 in 33 games. His comeback has inspired and provided hope for many facing their mental health challenges.
A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers Association is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minn., in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.
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