Edmonton Oilers defenceman Kris Russell is the team nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
“I was a little surprised actually but obviously a huge honour,” said Russell after practice Monday in Pittsburgh.
The Masterton is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.
“I think Rusty is, as we all know, the ultimate warrior,” said Leon Draisaitl. “It’s hard to put into words how much we appreciate him. It doesn’t always show up on the scoreboard. He’s not the flashiest guy.
“He’s done so much for our team, so much for our culture.”
Russell, 34, became the NHL’s all-time in blocked shots on November 27. He’s played 29 games this season and is up to 910 games in his career.
A modest man, when asked about the nomination Russell demonstrated his usual humility and instead preferred to talk about his teammates.
“They’ve always been behind me, especially when I broke the record there. The kind of appreciation they showed me was obviously big. At the same time, I feel like a lot of us do that,” said Russell.
No Oiler has ever won the Masterton.
The Oilers will visit the Penguins on Tuesday. The Face-off Show will begin at 3:30 p.m., on 630 CHED and the puck is set to drop at 5 p.m.