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Penguins’ Letang wins Masterson Trophy

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NASHVILLE – Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Masterton Trophy as the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, at the 2023 NHL Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Monday.

The 36-year-old defenseman had a stroke Nov. 28, 2022, but returned to play only 12 days later. He led the Penguins in ice time (22:14) in his return, a 3-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 10.

It was the second time Letang had suffered a stroke during his hockey career; he previously missed more than two months after having one during the 2013-14 season.

Letang had 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 64 games and led Pittsburgh in ice time per game (24:51).

He had 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 43 games after he returned and scored three overtime goals during that stretch, including one as part of a four-point game (two goals, two assists) in a 7-6 win against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 24.

“Obviously, there are some tough times, there are some emotional times,” Letang told the Penguins website after he was named Pittsburgh’s nominee for the Masterton. “But at the end of the day, I always thought that I was going to push through it and be able to come on the other side and be the same or better.”

Letang, who finished third in voting for the Masterton in 2014-15, is the first Penguins player to win the award since Mario Lemieux in 1992-93.

The local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters – Letang, Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller and Chicago Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock – were designated as finalists.

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.

Masterson played in the NHL for the Minnesota North Stars in 1967-68. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered from a hit during a Jan. 13, 1968 contest against the Oakland Seals.

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