Shea Theodore is the Vegas Golden Knights’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, given to “the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.”
The nominees were announced Tuesday for the award given by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Among those nominated were Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom, St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan.
The Golden Knights defenseman finished the 2019-20 regular season with the best statistical output of his young NHL career — 46 points (13 goals, 33 assists) — but it was his victory in overcoming testicular cancer that will be remembered as Theodore’s greatest win. Theodore announced in a post on The Players’ Tribune on Sept. 12 how he failed a drug test following the IIHF World Championships in May as a member of Team Canada.
The hormone that was caught on the test, which is normally found in pregnant women, can be found in men but it can link to testicular cancer.
Theodore’s teammate, goalie Robin Lehner, won the award last season as a member with the New York Islanders.
The NHL Awards show was postponed due to COVID-19. No date has been announced for official rescheduling.
Full list of nominees:
Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Miller, G
Arizona Coyotes: Conor Garland, F
Boston Bruins: Kevan Miller, D
Buffalo Sabres: Curtis Lazar, F
Calgary Flames: Mark Giordano, D
Carolina Hurricanes: James Reimer, G
Chicago Blackhawks: Corey Crawford, G
Colorado Avalanche: Ryan Graves, D
Columbus Blue Jackets: Nathan Gerbe, F
Dallas Stars: Stephen Johns, D
Detroit Red Wings: Robby Fabbri, F
Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid, F
Florida Panthers: Noel Acciari, F
Los Angeles Kings: Jonathan Quick, G
Minnesota Wild: Alex Stalock, G
Montreal Canadiens: Shea Weber, D
Nashville Predators: Jarred Tinordi, D
New Jersey Devils: Travis Zajac, F
New York Islanders: Thomas Hickey, D
New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist, G
Ottawa Senators: Bobby Ryan, F
Philadelphia Flyers: Oskar Lindblom, F
Pittsburgh Penguins: Evgeni Malkin, F
San Jose Sharks: Joe Thornton, F
St. Louis Blues: Jay Bouwmeester, D
Tampa Bay Lightning: Alex Killorn, F
Toronto Maple Leafs: Zach Hyman, F
Vancouver Canucks: Jacob Markstrom, G
Vegas Golden Knights: Shea Theodore, D
Washington Capitals: Michal Kempny, D
Winnipeg Jets: Mark Letestu, F