BLOG: Desharnais well-deserving of Masterton nomination

EDMONTON, AB – When you look at the journey, the commitment and the sacrifice that it’s taken him to arrive as a full-time NHL player, it’s hard to find a more fitting nominee for the Masterton Trophy than Vincent Desharnais.

The 27-year-old is only in his second NHL season, having played 118 regular-season and playoff games in his career, but it’s been a more than decade-long venture for Vinny through the amateur, collegiate and professional ranks to land such a prestigious nomination from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PWHA) – and not without its challenges along the way.

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

“It's always nice to be recognized like that, to be nominated for an NHL trophy,” Desharnais said. “If you told me that a couple of years ago, I would have probably laughed at you, but obviously it's just lots of hard work, lots of passion for the game, and lots of people along the way that supported me.”

Desharnais has mentioned many times along the way that making the NHL is more than just a solo effort; it takes plenty of people in your corner to get through the toughest moments of the journey.

“My support group has been awesome for me, and for me to play over 100 games in this league, I don't think I could have made it without them. So it's really awesome,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it's only a nomination. I'm here to play hockey. I'm not here to get nominated, so I'm just gonna focus on my game tonight.”

More than 10 seasons ago, Desharnais was playing USHS-Prep for Northwood School after being passed over in the 2014 QMJHL Draft. The next year, he suited up for 52 games with the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs and was even facing a drop to Junior B, leading to some introspective conversations for the Laval, QC product about where his hockey career might've been heading.

Desharnais played four seasons for the NCAA's Providence Bruins before he found himself in the ECHL with Edmonton's then-affiliate the Wichita Thunder, playing 31 games in Kansas and questioning whether he was cut out for professional hockey after some more challenging moments while playing alongside now-Oilers teammate Stuart Skinner.

The Thunder were beaten handily 8-2 by the Utah Grizzlies on one occasion where Desharnais was minus-2 and Skinner had allowed eight goals on 33 shots, and the ECHL roommates were sat on their couch after the game wondering if that might've been it for their professional journeys.

"Is that it?" Desharnais recalled saying. "Are we done playing?"

Luckily, that was far from the case. The shared experience now lives on in both of their careers and their famous post-game celebration that's lasted all the way to the NHL, serving as a reminder to both of them of their close friendship and similar journeys.

From his difficult beginning to his professional career, hard work persisted for Desharnais, who upon his promotion to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors began carving out a name for himself in the professional ranks.

Back in 2021-22, the 6-foot-6 blueliner led the American League with a league-high +36 plus/minus and was lauded for his defensive details, eventually earning the call-up to the Oilers in January 2023 and having yet to look back. Desharnais scored his only goal this year in the Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium back in October and has added 10 more assists in 70 games this season for the Blue & Orange.

"There were a few moments during my career that I look back on where I could have just quit," he said. "Obviously when I played in the East Coast. A couple of months before that, I was going through a depression going back to the BCHL. When I started the BCHL, I was the seventh defenceman and they wanted to send me to Junior B when I didn't get drafted.

"The QMJHL Draft for me was big. It felt like a failure to me, so there are a few moments that I can think of that were pretty tough in my career, but I think that kind of built me into this hard-working player I am today," Desharnais said.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned that Desharnais' impact can't be understated to the group – especially when you consider how far he's gone to become into a pivotal piece of Edmonton's back end.

"I've only known Vinny for a short period of time, just a few months that I've been here, but I've got a tremendous amount of respect for him," he said. "For a guy that's had to put in his time in the American League, the East Coast League, and for him to have the season that he's had and battling through some injuries, we're very happy for him."