Steve Sullivan is the only one player in Nashville Predators’ history to have ever won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given annually to the player who best represents perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game of hockey.
Michael McCarron has a good case to become the second after he was chosen by the Nashville chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) as the Predators team nominee this season.
The award is named after former Minnesota North Stars player Bill Masterton, who is the only player in NHL history to die directly from game-related injuries.
“It’s pretty cool [to be nominated],” McCarron said, via the team’s official website. “[Last year] was pretty nerve-wracking, but at the end of the day, maybe I didn’t have the most knowledge about people who went away in the past to go seek help in the [NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance] program.
“And now I have the utmost respect for people that do it, because it was hard to do. And I’ve just been super blessed to have such great people around me in the organization and my family and my wife. It’s been a smooth transition back into the hockey world and it’s been a great year.”
There was a time when McCarron’s NHL future was up in the air. He entered the Player Assistance Program last season for an unspecified reason. Putting his health first, McCarron fought his way back to the NHL after a brief stint with the Milwaukee Admirals upon getting cleared to resume playing.
This season, a rejuvenated McCarron has set a new career high in goals (12), assists (10), points (22), game-winning goals (3) and ice time (12:40 per game), and he matched a career best with three multi-point games.
Because of his performance, the Predators re-signed him to a two-year, $1.8 million contract in February.
“I just felt something in my body [during training camp] and I just knew I was ready to go,” McCarron said. “I felt really healthy and I felt really good about my game. The way I was moving on the ice, I usually don’t start moving like that in the summer. I had less aches and pains and less stress throughout the summer. So, I didn’t necessarily think I’d have the best career year, but I knew I was ready to go in and make the team during training camp, that’s for sure.”
Four former Predators were also nominated for their respective teams: Arizona’s Connor Ingram, Chicago’s Colin Blackwell, Dallas’ Matt Duchene and Los Angeles’ Viktor Arvidsson.
The 2024 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner will be selected by a vote of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the season.
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