The 2021-22 season was my fourth as a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and the first time I was selected as a voter in the annual awards. (Spoiler: I was equal parts excited and terrified at the proposition.) In the interest of transparency, our organization posts breakdowns of everybody’s votes for each award on the PHWA website, but I thought I would take the opportunity to walk everybody through my thought processes for each award.
Grab your beverage of choice and let’s dive in!
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Presented annually “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.