The Islanders chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) nominated Thomas Hickey for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Tuesday morning.
The PHWA nominates one player per NHL club for the Masterton, which is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The three Masterton finalists will be announced at a later date.
Hickey's brother, Dan, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor, in September and passed away in March. It was a heartbreaking end to a heavy season for Hickey, who was granted several leaves of absence from the team to be with his family in Alberta.
Hickey also dealt with several injuries during the season, which limited him to 14 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. While injuries kept him off the ice, he continued to serve as a veteran presence and mentor to a group of young defensemen with the Sound Tigers. Hickey was recalled on emergency basis from Bridgeport on March 5.
See below for a full list of Masterton nominees.
The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association proudly announces chapters’ nominees for the 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: pic.twitter.com/EpBQDoMhe5
