Yahoo Finance Canes’ Jordan Staal nominated for 2021 Bill Masterton Trophy
Jordan Staal would like a lasting image from this hockey season to be him, holding the Stanley Cup over his head, the Carolina Hurricanes having won it.
But there are other images, other moments from this season that best demonstrate why Staal was nominated for the 2021 Bill Masterton Trophy by the Carolina chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
Few will forget him standing in front of Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy with the Lightning’s Yanni Gourde beating on his back, cross-checking Staal again and again. Staal couldn’t be budged, standing strong, getting his stick on a shot for a redirection and goal.
Gourde turned and whined to the officials. Staal raised his arms to celebrate, then quickly skated to the bench, his job done. There was no gloating.
Another image: Staal surrounded by his family at PNC Arena before he played his 1,000th career game. That included brother Marc Staal of the Detroit Red Wings, who would be playing against the big center that night.
Another moment: Staal accepting the blame for causing some of his teammates to contract COVID-19, forcing them into quarantine early in the season.
That captures a lot — the strong play, a career achievement, accepting responsibility.
The Masterton Trophy is awarded by the PHWA each year to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of “perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
“It’s been my life for the most part,” Staal said on a Monday media call. “It’s all you think about growing up. Obviously you realize your dream and then have to do it day-in and day-out, and work at it and get better. It’s given me a lot. The game has been amazing. It has been a fun ride.”
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour called the Staal nomination an “easy choice.” Staal was a Masterton finalist in 2018 but no Carolina player has received the annual award.
“You could pretty much take any award and his name would be around it,” Brind’Amour said Monday. “It’s that simple. His value to the group, to the community, his play on the ice, whatever, you can go on and on.
“It kind of goes without saying he’s kind of everything for us. He epitomizes what we’re all about.”
Staal, 32, has played in every situation this season, providing goals and points, taking on the toughest defensive matchups, winning key draws, playing the heavy minutes as the Canes won the Central Division.
Then again, he has done that every season.
In 2018, Staal and his wife, Heather, experienced the pain and heartbreak of having an infant daughter have a birth defect and die. Staal never let it show in his play, in his dedication to his job, to his sport.
But every season has its challenges and this season has been the same, with the pandemic and a condensed NHL schedule.
“Making sure our group was ready for every game was more challenging than in most seasons,” Staal said. “I thought we did a really good job of that this year and that’s obviously coming down from Roddy (Brind’Amour) and the coaching staff, and our players in general.
“The COVID stuff is obviously another thing. Just mentally having a tough time getting away from the rink and getting out of hockey was difficult. It took its toll on a lot of guys.”
Through it all, the Canes captain stood strong for the group.
