Tampa Bay Lightning alternate captain Marty St. Louis is this season's Tampa Bay nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
St. Louis was nominated by the Tampa chapter of the Professional Hockey Writer's Association as the player this year who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey" Each of the 30 team chapters submits a nominee and then vote for the winner. Three finalists will be announced at a later date while the winner will be named at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas on June 22.
A two-time winner of the Lady Byng Award for sportsmanship, St. Louis continues to produce at a high level at an age when most players' production begins to sag. But because St. Louis puts such time in during the summer to prepare himself for the season and how serious he takes the game, he is still a point-per-game player.
From the end of the 2001-02 season until December of this season, St. Louis played in 748 out of a possible 751 games including playoffs before having a 499 consecutive games streak snapped when he was hit in the eye with a puck during the morning skate before he was set to appear in his 500th consecutive game.
"He exemplifies that description," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said of the criteria for the Masterton. "If you turn to the page in (the) dictionary for that, his picture is probably right there. In tough times, in good times, his ability to show his passion and pull guys in his direction."
The Lightning fell to the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Saturday. They next face the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
