Jamie Benn Is Dallas Stars’ Rightful Candidate For Award
By Josh Clark
The Bill Masterton Trophy is given out annually to the player who best exemplifies dedication and perseverance to hockey. Here is why the Dallas Stars’ captain fits the bill.
He may not be a logical candidate for the Art Ross Trophy anymore, but Jamie Benn still might find his way to Las Vegas this summer.
The Dallas Stars captain was nominated yesterday by the Dallas chapter of the PHWA for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Each NHL team has one member nominated from their club for this annual award given out at the NHL Awards in June.
Amongst the other trophies that are primarily awarded to players that obtain the highest number of something, the Masterton is truly special in the fact that it is based on attitude towards the game. In specific definition, the trophy is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Last year, the Stars put Patrick Eaves up as their candidate. In his first year with Dallas in 2014-2015, Eaves had a tough go. In early December, he had his lower leg shattered by a slap shot in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs that sidelined him for almost two months. He returned in late January, only to go back on the injured list in mid-February after taking a slap shot to the face.
But what truly made Eaves stand out and an obvious candidate for this award was that he did not allow any of these trials to skew his dedication. He always fought hard to return from the injuries and ended the year with a surprisingly impressive stat line. In just 42 games, Eaves tallied 14 goals and 27 points.
This year, the Dallas Stars have been relatively successful in avoiding the injury bug, at least in any long term fashion. A couple of injuries have piled up near the end of the year, but nothing that has caused the Stars’ season to derail entirely.
That being said, the Stars needed to put up a candidate that shows his pure dedication and sportsmanship in the game. What better player to select than the captain?
Jamie Benn has been one of the Stars’ key drives this season, both on and off the ice. The 26-year old winger is in the midst of his seventh NHL season and will be taking on his second career serving of NHL playoffs this coming April.
Benn leads the Stars in both goals scored (37) and total points (83) and is second in the league in points. He is on pace to beat his total of 87 from last season in a full 82-game slate.
But what makes Jamie Benn different from the rest is his definition of the word dedication. Benn has the distinct opportunity to be a dedicated player from the captaincy position, and he does not let that go to waste.
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Not only is Benn a good scorer and offensive player, but he is always prepared to stand up for his team. Whether it’s in a self-inflicted conflict or one stirred up by a teammate, Benn is always ready to drop the gloves if need be. He takes care of his team and is always looking for ways to mold them into a well-rounded group.
Not to mention Jamie Benn’s struggles last season that helped prove his perseverance. Benn rested on broken hips for the majority of the season, but never complained or took a night off. He played the entire 82-game schedule and pushed night in and night out to get the Stars as close to a playoff spot as he could. They ended up falling just short, but Benn made an improbable comeback in the Art Ross Trophy race. He ended as the league’s leading scorer with 87 points.
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When it is all said and done, Jamie Benn might be the best possible candidate. It would be hard to find another candidate that matched all of the qualities so perfectly. Either way, the Dallas Stars are lucky to have Jamie Benn as a captain and left winger. We’ll see how he continues to affect the team with the postseason just around the corner.