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Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan wins 2025 Masterton Trophy

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Tyler Kuehl | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 11:36 AM ET

One of the top players in the game has been honored with a trophy in a memorable way.

On Thursday, the NHL announced that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan has won the Bill Masteron Trophy. The award is “ given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”

How Monahan was honored with the award was very special. In a new approach by the NHL, players are being presented the trophies in unique and intimate manners. Meredith Gaudreau, wife of Monahan’s longtime teammate, the late Johnny Gaudreau, was the one who had the honors.

Johnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, surprised Sean Monahan with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Watch the #NHLAwards on June 12 at 6p ET on @NHL_On_TNT and @Sportsnet before Game 4 of the #StanleyCup Final. pic.twitter.com/njj3I7YptA
— NHL (@NHL) June 5, 2025

“You meant everything to John,” Meredith said to Monahan. “It’s just really special that I could be a part of this because this was about you. You persevered through one of the hardest things. … This one’s about celebrating your character and how good of a person you are. I know John is so proud of you.”

Monahan and Johnny Hockey were teammates for parts of nine seasons with the Calgary Flames , helping the team maintain relevance along with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk during the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Monahan is the first player in Blue Jackets history to win the award. It’s the first time a Blue Jacket has been honored during the NHL Awards season since the 2016-17 campaign, when head coach John Tortorella (Jack Adams Award), captain Nick Foligno (King Clancy Trophy, Mark Messier Leadership Award) and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (Vezina Trophy) took home hardware.

The 2025 NHL Awards show will be on Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m. ET prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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