It was just under 11 months ago that Mats Zuccarello lay in a hospital bed, unable to speak while experiencing myriad symptoms from the cracked skull and brain contusion he suffered when hit on the left side of the head by a Ryan McDonagh slap shot late in the first period of Game 5 of the first round against the Penguins.
Recovered fully, Zuccarello has been named the Rangers’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” Zuccarello received the nomination by a vote of the New York chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.