Tag: Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

Weber wins 2016 Mark Messier Leadership Award

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Image Source: Google Images

For the third time in the organization’s history, a Nashville Predators player has won an award at the National Hockey League Awards. Now, the organization has had countless nominees, but yes, only three winners in its eighteen years.

Those three guys? Steve Sullivan won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2009, Mike Fisher won the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2012, and now Shea Weber, winning the Mark Messier Leadership Award earlier tonight.

The Mark Messier Leadership Award is presented to the NHL player who exemplifies leadership capabilities both on and off the ice, including charitable contributions in the local community. Along with Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber created the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, which benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Weber’s commitment to his hometown of Sicamous, British Columbia also helped win him this award.

Though the league and fans have a hand in deciding who will be the chosen few for this award, the winner is ultimately decided by Mark Messier himself. Messier ultimately decided that Shea Weber was more worthy of his aptly-named award than John Tavares of the New York Islanders and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

Biased are we, but this award was much deserved by the Predators captain. Congrats to Shea Weber!

Preds nominate Rinne for 2015 Masterton

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Source: Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

Source: Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

The first of what we hope to be many Predators has been nominated for the 2015 NHL Awards! Any surprise that title belongs to Pekka Rinne? Here’s a little excerpt from the official release:

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has been named the team’s nominee for the 2015 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA), awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Rinne, who missed 51 games during the 2013-14 season due to hip surgery and a subsequent bacterial infection, has returned to the ice this season to post his second career, 40-win campaign to help guide the Predators to their first postseason berth since the 2011-12 season.

If he takes the cake, Pekka Rinne will join former Nashville Predator, Steve Sullivan, who won the award back in 2009. The 2015 NHL Awards are being held in Las Vegas on June 24th.