Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan has been named one of three finalists for the 2024-25 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the National Hockey League and club announced today. The award is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The other finalists for this year’s award are Minnesota's Marc-Andre Fleury and Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog.
Monahan, 30, is the third player in Blue Jackets history to be named a finalist for the award. Forward Nick Foligno was a finalist in 2018-19, while forward Kevin Dineen was a finalist in each of the club’s first two seasons in 2000-01 and 2001-02.
The Brampton, Ontario native registered 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points with 20 penalty minutes, 128 shots on goal and a +19 plus/minus rating, while averaging 19:01 TOI per game and won 52.6 percent of his faceoffs in 54 appearances in his first season with the Blue Jackets in 2024-25. He set a single-season career high in points-per-game (1.06) and posted the second-most assists despite missing 28 contests due to a wrist injury. He led Columbus in points-per-game and ranked third in assists and points (tied). The 6-2, 197-pound forward also led the NHL in 5-on-5 assists-per-60 minutes (2.18, min. 25 GP) and ranked second in points-per-60 minutes (3.07).
Signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent on July 1, 2024, Monahan has registered 263-332-595 and 201 penalty minutes in 818 career games with the Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens and Flames over 12 NHL seasons. He was Calgary’s first-round pick, sixth overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft and played nine seasons with the Flames from 2013-22.
The winner of the Masterton Trophy is selected by a poll of the 32 chapters of the PHWA at the conclusion of the regular season. The trophy was first presented by the NHL writers in 1968 in honor of the late Bill Masterton, a player for the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited the qualities for which the trophy embodies, and who died on Jan. 15, 1968. Last season’s winner was Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Hockey Club).
Previous Blue Jackets nominees for the award include: Dineen (2000-01 and 2001-02, finalist both years), Luke Richardson (2002-03), Manny Malhotra (2003-04), Duvie Westcott (2005-06), Fredrik Norrena (2006-07), Pascal Leclaire (2007-08), Raffi Torres (2008-09), Jared Boll (2009-10), Derek MacKenzie (2010-11), Curtis Sanford (2011-12), Vinny Prospal (2012-13), Foligno (2013-14, 2014-15 and finalist in 2018-19), Fedor Tyutin (2015-16), Sergei Bobrovsky (2016-17), Zach Werenski (2017-18 and 2023-24), Nathan Gerbe (2019-20), Zac Dalpe (2020-21), Justin Danforth (2021-22) and Boone Jenner (2022-23).
