The PHWA has named Toronto Maple Leafs’ Ilya Samsonov as the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy. The award is given to an NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. Its name is because Bill Masterton is the only NHL player to ever pass away as a direct result of an injury.
Every NHL team gets a nominee, and while there were a few good choices for the Maple Leafs, like Mark Giordano, who lost his father and returned to the team after a brief absence. Another one is Ryan Reaves, whose days in the NHL looked numbered before he turned it around. Even Bobby McMann, a 27-year-old rookie in the NHL, is a good choice, but it is more fitting that Samsonov was selected.
Why Samsonov?
When was the last time in an NHL season you heard of a goalie who looked like a shell of himself, played so poorly, passed through waivers, and then figured it out and took back over the net? Personally, I’ve never seen this, ever. Well, Samsonov did that. He was down and out, lost and hopeless, and placed on waivers for a chance at all 31 other NHL teams to take a chance on him, and no one did. When he reported to the American Hockey League (AHL), he wasn’t expected to suit up for the Toronto Marlies but rather take a mental break. He was supposed to clear his mind and get back to the basics.
It was then when he got a visit from his parents from Russia, and he and his dad had a heart-to-heart, and Samsonov realized that he couldn’t give up on himself. He worked hard and was called back on Jan. 10, 2024, after being sent down on Dec. 31, 2023, and was allowed to start against the Detroit Red Wings. Much to the chagrin of the Maple Leaf fan base, after how he was playing before the turn of the calendar, it seemed like no one wanted him to rejoin the team.
But he did, and he made every moment count. He battled and played with his heart on his sleeve, and his play reflected that. He was getting in the way of pucks that would have previously snuck by him and even making desperate saves that only goalies playing with confidence can make. He believed in himself when no one in the fan base or organization seemed to. He persevered and, as a result, has won over the crease for heading into the playoffs and has been nominated for the Masterton Trophy by the PHWA. What he has done this season has been remarkable and deserves recognition.
Sammy’s Surge
To start the season, it seemed like Samsonov and Joseph Woll had the potential to be one of the better tandems in the NHL that didn’t include a top-tier goalie. The expectation was that they were good enough to win games, or so the team thought. While Woll was playing very well, Samsonov struggled terribly, in his first 15 starts he had a record a 5-2-6 record accompanied by a .862 save percentage (SV%), and a 3.94 goals against average (GAA). He was playing some of the worst hockey of his career and showed why the Washington Capitals could have opted to leave him unqualified.
He was sent down on Dec. 31, 2023, and, as mentioned before, was given some time to clean his head and work on himself mentally. Since that start against the Red Wings on Jan. 14, 2024, he has been easily one of the best goalies in the NHL. During that time, he has had a record of 16-4-1, a .905 SV%, a 2.71 GAA, and two shutouts. This turnaround has been one of the best Leafs Nations has witnessed in the last few decades.
Samsonov deserves this nomination, whether he gets the award or not. He has shown the entire NHL that if you believe in yourself, anything can happen. The Maple Leafs’ fan base only hopes that he can keep up this play and help them win the Stanley Cup.
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