Ingram’s Award Highlights Incredible Determination, ‘He’s a Tremendous Person’

The entire NHL is learning something about Connor Ingram that his teammates, coaches, and front office members already knew:

The goalie is an incredible talent, an even better person, and an extremely resilient individual.

Ingram was selected as the winner of the 2023-24 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Wednesday, which recognizes the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The 27-year-old was 23-21-3 this season with a 2.91 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, and finished the year with six shutouts, which was tied for the most in the NHL.

He has appeared in 80 career NHL games, all of which came after he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program in 2021 after nearly retiring due to an undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression.

The netminder shared his story publicly multiple times during the 2023-24 season, and though Wednesday’s recognition was never part of the plan, Ingram said he has turned what was a very difficult situation into something that has already started to positively impact the lives of others.

“You don’t think about winning the Masterton, you’re just trying to put your life back together,” Ingram said. “For me, now, if I become a voice for it, or do things like this where we’re going to talk about it, I thought, ‘Why not make it a good thing?’ That’s what it’s turned into.

“I’ve got people reaching out and saying it has helped their kids get into therapy, or things like that, and I think that’s all you can do. If you think it’s going to be a story, make it a good one.”

He was quick to credit a number of individuals in his life, beginning with Vickie Woosley, the team psychologist for the Nashville Predators. Ingram also said the love and support from his parents, fiancée Sarah Mitchell, current goaltending coach Corey Schwab, and former goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok have been instrumental in his journey.

He and Mitchell will wed on August 3 in Nashville, which is where they met following his time in the Player Assistance Program.

“Sarah, she probably deserves the most credit,” Ingram said. “She’s always there behind the curtain ready to talk.”

His NHL journey began when he was drafted 88th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016, and he climbed through the junior and professional ranks with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder and Orlando Solar Bears, and AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Chicago Wolves, and Milwaukee Admirals. 

Ingram made his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators on Oct. 24, 2021 – 10 months after entering the Player Assistance Program – and earned a win after saving 33 of 35 shots. He said the significance of that moment didn’t necessarily click at the time, but it was the start of his journey in the league following the monumental obstacles he had overcome.

“We weren’t thinking about this when it was going on; it was just a hockey game that you needed to go out and win,” Ingram said. “I look back at it now all the time, it hangs in my basement. I have the puck, I have the scorecard, I have the [victory] picture. It’s all there, and it’s a moment that if I walk away tomorrow, you can’t take away from me.”

He played two more games that season, and by then General Manager Bill Armstrong, along with his professional scouting staff, had learned all they needed to know about the talented netminder.

The two-time AHL All-Star was claimed off waivers on Oct. 10, 2022, and he has been an integral part of the team's chemistry ever since.

“All of our goalie people in the organization wanted him bad, and that’s because of the way he is and how he thinks about the game. He’s a very natural goaltender,” Armstrong said. “He calms everybody by the way he plays.”

Ingram’s first full NHL season came in 2022-23 after starting in 26 games en route to a 3.37 GAA and .907 SV%. He truly burst onto the scene this past season, though, appearing in 50 games while posting some of the league’s top marks for a goaltender. 

He was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the week ending Dec. 3, after stopping 89 of the 98 shots he faced while posting a 3-0-0 record with a 1.63 GAA and .947 SV%. That capped a week in which the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Stanley Cup Champions from the past six seasons in consecutive games: The Vegas Golden Knights (2023), Colorado Avalanche (2022), Tampa Bay Lightning (2021, 2020), St. Louis Blues (2019), and Washington Capitals (2018).

“He loves his teammates, he loves hockey, and he wants to win -- he’s very passionate about that,” Armstrong said. “We know the battles that he’s had and he’s just a tremendous person. 

“He means a lot to this team.”

Ingram’s Masterton win comes just one season after teammate Clayton Keller finished third in voting for the honor, overcoming a fractured femur to post career-bests in goals (37), assists (49), and points (86).

That the team has had two Masterton finalists in successive seasons highlights the character and talent of a squad that continues to grow together, something Ingram is destined to have a big impact upon considering he is signed through the 2025-26 season.

“He’s had a major tour of duty here in the NHL, and it takes some time to play in every rink and get used to the way it is,” Armstrong said. “He’s done a great job in the course of being here over two years, and he continues to get better and better. For us, seeing the way he played this year, there’s good excitement that he can go home, have a great summer, and take that next step to help his team achieve and become the best they can be.”

As Ingram approaches the next phase of his career, he said he hopes he can continue to be a champion for mental health. His performance on the ice has been truly impressive, but how he has impacted friends, family, hockey fans, and even total strangers outside of the rink transcends sports altogether.

“There’s tons of opportunities for it, but I still have some work to do on myself before I really step into it,” Ingram said. “For me, if doing things like this can help people, I think that’s a great way to start.”