On Tuesday the Professional Hockey Writers Association revealed nominees for the 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Alex Killorn received this year’s nomination for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association proudly announces chapters’ nominees for the 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: pic.twitter.com/EpBQDoMhe5
— PHWA (@ThePHWA) June 9, 2020
Since being drafted in the third round of the 2007 NHL Draft, Alex Killorn has stayed within the organization for the longest time among players from current roster. This regular season he surpassed his career high in points (49) and goals (26) despite playing in just 68 games, for the first time in his career breaking the 20 goals mark. He has been also recognized by getting a role of alternate captain during this season.
During the current COVID-19 hiatus Alex Killorn has become a very popular on social media sites for his “Dock Talk“ live streams on Instagram and his viral Flying V video. He also started a Dock Talk merchandise, 100% profit of which goes to the Hillsborough education foundation.
Killorn is currently in the fourth year of his seven years deal with the Lightning and while the information is still unclear about how the free agency and trade market will work after recent COVID-19 pause, by the old rules his full no-trade clause should have changed to modified with 16 team no trade list by July 1st. There was a lot of rumours that Alex Killorn is the likeliest person to be moved next offseason due to the Lightning’s issues with cap space.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is usually awarded to players which showed their sportsmanship and dedication to the ice hockey. It’s often given to players returning to the game after suffering a life-threatening illness or injury. John Cullen is the only Lightning player has received this award before, after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1997, he returned for four games the year after and eventually retired to serve as an Lightning’s assistant coach for the rest of the season.
This year’s favourites for this award are Oscar Lindblom, currently battling Ewing’s sarcoma, Bobby Ryan, who returned this year after issues related with alcohol addiction, and Stephen Johns who played his first NHL game after 22 months of absence due to suffering from post-traumatic headaches.
Other News and Links
A former Tampa Bay Lightning player Brandon Bochenski, who played for the team in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, has won the election for the new mayor of Grand Forks.
Former UND hockey player Brandon Bochenski is the new mayor of Grand Forks, ending Mike Brown’s 20-year run https://t.co/VXCUpOxOkm
— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) June 10, 2020
Another former Lightning player JT Brown released a statement on current protests in the United States.
JT Brown (@JTBrown23) reflects on the power of community. pic.twitter.com/bZFM6LdRLS
— NHL (@NHL) June 9, 2020
Erik Gudbranson has also reflected on recent situation, releasing an open letter.
“For a long time, fear of saying the wrong thing kept me from speaking out. But the fight for racial justice is too important for any of us to stay silent.”
A letter from Erik Gudbranson:https://t.co/ULWAHZE4lq
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 9, 2020
According to Erik Erlendsson some Lightning players have returned to Amalie Arena for the NHL’s Phase 2, including Alex Killorn, Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Mikhail Sergachev, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kevin Shattenkirk.
#TBLightning players back on @AmalieArena ice as Phase 2 begins for #NHL “We did just a couple of tight turning, receiving passes and shooting on the shooter tutor, which always makes you feel a bit better about yourself” #GoBolts https://t.co/PWfaYbC2b8 pic.twitter.com/FHo0nCRk5s
— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) June 10, 2020
