Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal Nominated for Masterton & King Clancy Trophies

It’s the time of year in the NHL when each chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) will nominate players for the Bill Masterton Trophy. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the PHWA to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. Cory Lavalette, the Raleigh Chapter head of the PHWA announced that they nominated Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal. What makes this special for Staal is that this is the third time being nominated for the honor.

Furthermore, he was also nominated for the 2024-25 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The King Clancy Trophy is presented to the player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” The nominees are selected by their respective NHL teams, and the winner will be chosen by a committee of senior NHL executives. Staal is more than worthy of both of these trophies from the PHWA and the Hurricanes themselves.

Worthy of Nominations

Wednesday morning (April 9) saw Staal get nominated for both the Bill Masterton and King Clancy Trophies. Staal was one of the finalists for the Masterton Trophy back during the 2017-18 season. After 72 games this season for the Hurricanes, he has tallied 12 goals and 33 assists with a plus-13. Staal is tied for fourth on the Hurricanes with three game-winning goals and tied for sixth in assists (21). One of the most memorable moments for Staal this season was his hot week back in early January. He was named the NHL’s second star of the week from Jan. 6 through Jan. 12 after notching five goals and seven points in four games. What was part of that run was when he notched his fourth career hat trick – second with the Hurricanes – back on Jan. 9 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In his 1,325 career NHL games split between the Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins, Staal has accumulated 297 goals and 411 assists for 708 points. He has become one of the toughest guys to face in the faceoff dot in his 19-year NHL career, winning 53.7% over that span. Regarding his tenure with the Hurricanes, over a 13-year career, he has tallied 177 goals, 283 assists, and 460 points in 894 games. Staal is ranked fourth in franchise history in games played and sixth in points and assists in the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise. One name in particular that is ranked better than him in all three categories is his brother Eric Staal. Despite playing more seasons with the Hurricanes than Eric, the now-retired number 12 has the current Staal captain beat in franchise lore.