He is one of three finalists, joining Zdeno Chara of the New York Islanders and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens.
Hayes entered the 2021-22 season following the sudden and tragic passing of his brother, Jimmy Hayes, and on three occasions required surgery to overcome injury and a blood infection to return to the Flyers lineup.
He appeared in 48 games where he recorded 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points with an average of 17:55 of ice time per game. After returning from his latest surgery on Mar. 5, he led the Flyers in scoring with 22 points (7g-15a) in the final 28 games of the season with an average of 19:25 ice time per game.
To be considered for the Masterton, the PHWA chapter in each market of the 32 NHL clubs nominates one player from that team. On Apr. 25, the Philadelphia Chapter of the PHWA chose Hayes as the Flyers nominee to the NHL.
This is the third consecutive year that a Flyer has been named a finalist for the Masterton with Oskar Lindblom being named the previous two seasons. Lindblom won the Trophy in 2020-21 for his courageous return after being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in December of 2019. No team in NHL history has had players win the Masterton in back-to-back seasons.
The winner of the Masterton will be revealed during the NHL Awards Show, which is set to take place between Games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in the host city of the team playing.
There have only been four Flyers to receive the award in franchise history: Oskar Lindblom (2021), Ian Laperriere (2011), Tim Kerr (1989) and Bob Clarke (1972).
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL Writers' Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars, who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and who died January 15, 1968.
