The Los Angeles chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) on March 28 announced that forward Vincent Lecavalier is the Kings’ nominee for the 2016 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually by the PHWA to honor the late Bill Masterton, a player for the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and
dedication to ice hockey before he died on January 15, 1968, as the result of an on-ice injury.
The Los Angeles PHWA chapter provided the following on Lecavalier:
Vincent Lecavalier, in the twilight of an outstanding career, had become an afterthought while with the Philadelphia Flyers.
More often than not he was a healthy scratch, playing in only seven games to start this season and recording one assist.
It seemed a sad way for a gallant player to go out.
Lecavalier, 35, is rewriting that ending in Los Angeles.
Given a chance and regular ice time after being traded to the Kings in January, Lecavalier has become a valued locker-room leader for a team that figures to contend for the Stanley Cup.
He has helped with his faceoff skills and his experience, setting a good example for younger players to follow.
The classy center had eight goals, 15 points and a +4 defensive rating in his first 35 games with the Kings but his contributions go beyond that.
For his career, he has 419 goals and 947 points in 1,205 games.
Kings Coach Darryl Sutter is a fan of Lecavalier and what he has done since the trade.
“Two months ago, three months ago, they said he was done,” Sutter said a few days ago. “They just didn’t finish the sentence. He’s done well.”The Kings are in San Jose tonight. Game time is 7:30 p.m. with the game to be broadcast on NBCSN and KABC Radio.