The New York Rangers chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association has nominated forward Jonny Brodzinski for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
#NYR chapter of the PHWA nominated Jonny Brodzinski for this year’s Bill Masterton Trophy, given to the NHL player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 9, 2025
This award is generally given to a player who perseveres in the face of a great personal obstacle such as an injury, illness, or other struggle, but Brodzinski's nomination speaks to the "sportsmanship and dedication to hockey" that is part of the award's description.
The 2024-25 season marks the first time in Brodzinski's career that he has spent the entirety of a season on an NHL roster. This season the veteran forward has been a bright spot in the bottom six, and he's appeared in 46 games and contributed a line of 10-7-17 while averaging 11:27 per game.
Brodzinski spent 57 games on the varsity roster last season for the Blueshirts, but also spent 16 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack. In totality, the former St. Cloud University standout has logged 147 NHL games since joining the Rangers' organization, and 113 in Hartford with the Wolf Pack.
Prior to joining the Rangers, Brodzinski briefly played for the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, but mostly was logging minutes in the AHL for the Ontario Reign and San Jose Barracuda.
This year was the one in which Brodzinski solidified himself as an NHL pro, and this nomination is a worthy one based on parameters associated with the award. Furthermore, there really isn't anyone else on this roster that was worthy of a nomination, I guess with the exception of Sam Carrick who is having a near career year at age 32, but he's got significantly more NHL experience than Brodzinski.
All of that said, while Brodzinski's narrative may not be the strongest of Masterton trophy nominees, it is a nice moment to see him earn this type of recognition for the hard work, determination, and overall dedication he's had toward making his career as an NHL player a true reality.