SUNRISE, Fla. -When the PHWA announced the 31 nominees for the 2020-21 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Monday, it came as no surprise to see Chris Driedger's name on the list.
After all, given that the awarded is handed out annually to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey," the Panthers goaltender joked that a trip to his page at HockeyDB.com was likely enough to sway at least a few voters.
Driedger Humbled by Masterton Nomination
"It's obviously very humbling," Driedger said before cracking a big smile. "They probably saw that I played for five teams in the [ECHL]. That's a pretty crazy amount of teams in the Coast."
Indeed.
Originally selected by the Senators in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft, Driedger spent six seasons bouncing around the AHL and ECHL before finally getting a chance to shine, making stops in places like Elmira, Evansville, Wichita and Brampton before finally arriving to Sunrise.
Able to find his game after joining Florida's former AHL affiliate in Springfield, Mass., Driedger posted a save percentage over .924 during back-to-back seasons with the Thunderbirds before eventually being rewarded with his first call-up to the Panthers early in the 2019-20 campaign.
Hitting the ground running the moment he arrived, Driedger then went on to stop all 27 shots he faced in an exciting 3-0 win over the Predators at BB&T Center on Nov. 30, 2019, becoming the first goaltender in the history of the franchise to record a win in the first start of their NHL career.
"I'm speechless at this point," Driedger said afterwards. "It's been a long time coming."
Continuing to build off that strong start, Driedger, who had inked a two-year, two-way contract extension in February of 2019, went on to carve out a regular role for himself within the team's goaltending corps, finishing the season with a sturdy 7-2-1 record and .938 save percentage.
Picking up where he left off, Driedger was then just as good, if not better, this season.
Working well in tandem with two-time Vezina Trophy winner Seregi Bobrovsky, the 26-year-old posted a 14-6-3 record, .927 save percentage and three shutouts during the 2020-21 campaign, including gobbling up 30 shots to blank the Lighting 3-0 in the regular-season finale on Monday. "He really took advantage of an opportunity," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said.
"He was basically the [third-string goaltender] last year, but then he just seemed to take advantage of his opportunity. … I love his composure, love his demeanor and like his attitude. He fits right in with the group. He goes about his business in a real good calm manner. He got more responsibility based on performance. From [last] year to this year, he was basically in a rotating situation this year. I think he pushed Bob [Bobrovsky] in a good way. I think it's been a healthy rotation."
With his Masterton Trophy nomination serving as somewhat of a mile marker in his career, Driedger can't help but crack another big smile while reflecting on how far he's already come.
"It's been a really incredible journey," Driedger said. "I'm extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity to end up here in an incredible city in the best league in the world. It's been a very long and tumultuous ride at times. There has been a lot of ups, lot of downs, and a lot of stuff in between. I couldn't be happier to be here right now. It's really been a blessing."
