NEW YORK – Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan is the 2024-25 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” The award was presented by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) to honor the late Bill Masterton, a player for the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited those qualities. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, as a result of an on-ice injury.
Monahan received the award in a special surprise presentation at his home. His close friend Meredith Gaudreau, wife of the late Johnny Gaudreau, surprised him at his door with the trophy.
Monahan, who signed with Columbus on July 1, 2024, to reunite with Gaudreau after the pair played together for nine seasons in Calgary, has served as an inspiration amid the unspeakable tragedy of Gaudreau’s death last August. He finished with the fifth-most points by a Blue Jackets player in his first season with the club (57) – a list Gaudreau sits second on (74 in 2022-23). His 1.06 points per game was the highest by any first-year Columbus player.
“Even the veteran players, even those who have lived with grief in their own lives, have been awed by Monahan’s ability to play at a high level while modeling grace and vulnerability,” wrote Aaron Portzline in The Athletic. “Just the way Monny has persevered through really, really hard times. It’s been inspiring to me and to the whole group,” captain Boone Jenner said. “The way he’s handled himself, just stepping in here under those circumstances. He’s been a leader in the room and a leader on the ice. He’s a true pro. Everyone can learn from him.”
A $2,500 grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minn., in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.
Other finalists for this year’s honor were Marc-Andre Fleury of the Minnesota Wild and Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche.
The best players and coaches from the 2024-25 season will be celebrated in the 2025 NHL Awards, a one-hour special that will premiere on Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m. ET on TNT in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada, before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The show will highlight all NHL Award winners this season, including Monahan and others revealed in a series of special surprise video announcements across all League platforms leading up to the June 12 program.
