Cullen's amazing career and reputation earns him Masterton nomination

The only thing Matt Cullen ever wanted to do in his life was play hockey.
"It worked out pretty well," he said.
It most certainly did, as the 42-year-old veteran has crafted an incredible career. He has dressed in over 1,500 games for eight different franchises (Anaheim, Florida, Carolina, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Minnesota, Nashville and Pittsburgh) over 21 seasons, winning three Stanley Cups while raising three young sons with his wife, Bridget.
And the entire time, he's been the consummate professional. As Pens head coach Mike Sullivan likes to say, Cullen is an extension of their coaching staff who has a great influence over the group.
His incredible career and reputation has led to him being nominated by the Pittsburgh Chapter of Professional Hockey Writers Association as the team's Masterton Trophy nominee.

"When you get nominated for any award in this league, it's an honor," Cullen said.
The Masterton Trophy is given out yearly by the NHL to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport of hockey - which describes Cullen perfectly.
"While this award tends to highlight players coming back from injury, it should also recognize guys like Matt Cullen, who center their lives around playing in the NHL," PHWA chapter chair Jason Mackey said. "You won't find a more well-liked or respected player in the Penguins dressing room, and Cullen plays an extremely important role on this team."

Breaking down the criteria of the award, to Cullen, perseverance means playing for a long time and being able to stick around in this league despite being 42 years old.
"I'm proud of the fact that I can still play and I'm part of something special," he said.
When it comes to sportsmanship, Cullen feels that's mostly about being a good teammate. And he's not just a good teammate, he's the best teammate. Everybody Cullen plays with absolutely adores him, and couldn't speak more highly of him as a player and a person.
"I think that's something I've always tried to do, is be a good teammate and go out of my way for other guys," Cullen said. "I don't know all the nominees, but I can probably think of a few. And when you look at all those guys, those are guys that everybody wants on their team."
As for Cullen's dedication to the sport of hockey, his 1,500-plus games played speaks for itself. He's certainly managed to adjust and adapt in different facets, from accepting different roles to paying more attention to his health as he aged.
But for Cullen, the real secret to his longevity is quite simple.
"I think the biggest thing, honestly, is that I just love to play the game," he said. "Everybody takes care of their nutrition and trains, and I've done that throughout my career. But I really enjoy the competition. I love the battle and I love this time of the year. It's worth working out and training and battling to get to this point in the season where games really mean a lot and every play is really important. To me, that's the biggest thing. I just love that."
Cullen admitted with a laugh that it would be fun to take the family to Las Vegas for the annual NHL Awards, joking that he could "show the kids a few things at the blackjack table." But no matter who ends up a finalist, Cullen really is honored to even be amongst the 31 nominees around the NHL.
"There are so many great stories in our league, whether it's coming back or being around for a long time or some guys who don't get their shot until they're 30," he said. "There's just so many good stories of good people that persevere and work hard to get to here. For me, I'm honored to be in that group."