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Kevin Hayes Named a Finalist for Masterton Trophy

By Scott Cole

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 16: Kevin Hayes #13 of the Philadelphia Flyers celebrates after scoring during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Wells Fargo Center on November 16, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 16: Kevin Hayes #13 of the Philadelphia Flyers celebrates after scoring during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Wells Fargo Center on November 16, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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In the midst of the Flyers disappointing season, the trials that Kevin Hayes has been through has been lost in the shuffle. But it is because of these trials that Hayes has been named as a finalist by the NHL for the Masterton Trophy. The Masterton Trophy is awarded by the league to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Last summer, Hayes lost his brother Jimmy due to an overdose. Jimmy had previously played with the Panthers and Bruins and had spent parts of the last two seasons playing in the AHL. By all accounts, Jimmy was a well loved guy and his death had helped to shed some light on the problems that drugs, addiction, and depression still have in our culture.

While grieving with this, Hayes suffered a slew of injuries. It started in training camp and lingered during many different parts of the season. As he was sidelined, he saw his team lose game after game. Despite his competitive spirit, there was little Hayes could do but try to inspire from the sides. Still, he came back and battled through the pain to play in 48 games, scoring 10 goals with 21 assists.

If Hayes wins the trophy, he will be the second consecutive Flyers player to win the award. Oskar Lindblom won the trophy last season after his recovery from cancer.  Bobby Clarke was the first Flyer that won the trophy in 1972 after coming off of a season that began with a tooth abscess that became infected and severely affected his play.

Tim Kerr would win the award in 1989 after playing almost a full season despite having five major shoulder surgeries in 14 months. Ian Laperrière also took home the trophy after taking a slapshot and a puck to the face in 2011.

Zdeno Chara of the New York Islanders and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens are the other two finalists for the award. The winner of the Masterton Trophy will be revealed during the NHL Awards shows, typically taking place between the second and third games of the Stanley Cup Final.

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