Winnipeg Jets defenceman Neal Pionk is the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the hockey club announced Wednesday.
Pionk, 29, was given the nod for the award — which is handed out to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game — after the tragic death of his best friend and former college teammate last season.
Former Pittsburgh Penguin Adam Johnson was killed while playing in England when an errant skate caught him in the neck during an on-ice collision. Johnson and Pionk played together at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before their respective NHL careers.
Pionk said his Winnipeg teammates helped him through the grieving process, as did time he spent in the off-season with Johnson’s family.
“It’s a prestigious honour,” Pionk told reporters. “Obviously a lot of guys have gone through some stuff, and I’ve certainly had loss in my life in the last year. I just thank the guys for helping me through it.
“The first, initial shock of it is tough. Tough for everyone. Where it gets tough is when the noise settles down, and I know some people have had it way worse than I’ve had.”
Pionk said he continues to reach out to his late friend’s family even in recent weeks.
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The defenceman is one of 32 players league-wide tapped as a nominee for the award, which is named after Winnipeg native Bill Masterton — the only NHL player to die as a direct result of an on-ice injury.
Masterton died at 29 of a brain injury after a hit while playing for the Minnesota North Stars in January of 1968 — in an era where players routinely didn’t wear helmets.
The trophy’s winner is selected by polling members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. If Pionk should win the award, he’ll be the first member of the Jets to receive the honour.
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