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Zach Werenski nominated for Masterton Trophy for perseverance, dedication to hockey

MiHockey Staff

By @MichaelCaples –

The Columbus chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association hasn’t forgotten about the scary incident Zach Werenski faced last spring.

Today, the Blue Jackets announced that the Grosse Pointe native is the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The Masterton is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

The 20-year-old defenseman is fresh off his first All-Star Game appearance; Werenski has 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 72 games this season.

Last season, his first-ever NHL playoff appearance was cut short when he was struck in the face by an errant puck during Game 3 of the team’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against Pittsburgh.

Werenski suffered a season-ending facial fracture, but was back on the ice for his summer training, and he hasn’t missed a beat since the scary incident.

The NTDP and Michigan alum tried to play through the injury, returning with a bubble before his eye eventually swelled completely shut before overtime.

Perseverance and dedication to hockey? You bet.