The Twin Cities chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) today announced the nomination of Minnesota Wild defenseman Nate Prosser for the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The trophy is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Prosser, 29 (5/7/86), has collected three assists and is a plus-3 in 51 games this season. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound native of Elk River, Minn., ranks T-3rd on the team in penalty minutes (34) and fifth in blocked shots (72). He was originally signed by Minnesota as a free agent on March 18, 2010, and has recorded 31 points (5-26=31) and 193 PIM in 240 career NHL games, all with the Wild.
Known as a tremendous teammate, Prosser has gained a reputation for his high-quality character and ever-present smile. In addition to team initiatives, he has taken it upon himself to mentor and befriend sick children in the area and support a number of local charities including Defending The Blue Line, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and Wishes & More.
The winner of the Masterton Trophy is selected by a poll among the 30 chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season. NHL writers first presented the trophy in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, who played for the Minnesota North Stars and exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968 as a result of head injuries suffered during a game.
Devan Dubnyk (2014-15), Josh Harding (2013-14, 2012-13), Clayton Stoner (2011-12), Pierre-Marc Bouchard (2010-11), Guillaume Latendresse (2009-10), Kurtis Foster (2008-09), Aaron Voros (2007-08), Marian Gaborik (2006-07), Wes Walz (2005-06, 2000-01), Alexandre Daigle (2003-04), Dwayne Roloson (2002-03) and Richard Park (2001-02) were previously nominated for the award.
Harding was named the 2013 recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on June 14, 2013, to become the first player in Wild history to win a voted-on NHL Award. Dubnyk was named the recipient of the 2015 Bill Masterton Trophy on June 24, 2015.
[Minnesota Wild press release]
