PHWA Names Tinordi as Preds Masterton Trophy Nominee

No one on the Nashville roster is more deserving of this particular accolade than Jarred Tinordi.

The Predators defenseman has been named the team's nominee for the 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, as selected by the Nashville Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA). The trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

The nomination came as a surprise to the blueliner, but Tinordi appreciates the nod, especially considering the path he's taken to get here.

"I didn't see myself being nominated for too many awards in the NHL," Tinordi said with a laugh via phone on Tuesday morning. "But to be recognized for something like that; there's lots of guys in the League going through a bunch of different things, so it's an honor."

Finding ice time in the NHL hasn't always been an easy task for Tinordi, who was selected in the first round of the NHL Draft back in 2010 by Montreal. A decade later, the 6-foot-6 blueliner attained career highs with the Predators in games played (28), goals (1), assists (4), points (5) and hits (71), just to name a few.

After being recalled by Nashville two days after Christmas, Tinordi found himself in the lineup over and over again, while becoming a constant part of the blue line, as the Preds made their push to the postseason through March.

There were memorable moments along the way, like sticking up for teammate Viktor Arvidsson with a scrap in St. Louis back in February, and his first career goal, which came in Washington, the city where his father, Mark, played for the Capitals in the 1990s.

But no matter what was happening, the 28-year-old Tinordi was just thankful to be back in the best hockey league in the world.

"My mindset changed a little bit… and I guess I understood my game a little bit more and my role," Tinordi said. "Sometimes when you get called up when you're a young guy, you think you have to go out there and do everything - hit, score, fight, you've got to do everything at once, and that's not the case. You just have to do what you do really well and do it every night. The past couple of years in Milwaukee, that really hit home for me as far as what kind of player I am, what kind of player I could be at the NHL level and really just trying to play those strengths."

Tinordi was captaining the Admirals in Milwaukee when he inked a two-year, two-way deal with the Predators last summer. After signing one-year deals with different clubs over the past few seasons, Tinordi says he felt at home in Milwaukee. By sticking with the same organization for multiple campaigns, Tinordi believed he was giving himself a better chance to obtain the call every player in the AHL wishes to receive.

"I was just hoping I would get another look, and at that point you really don't know," Tinordi said. "I would just be happy to get a game again, to play in the NHL again one more time. You really never know with this game what's going to happen, and I was fortunate enough this past year to get that opportunity and take it and run with it."

No hockey player gets to where they are without some assistance, and Tinordi is no different. Coaches, teammates, friends and family - they've all played a role in Tinordi's career, which he admits has had some "dark times."

But two years ago, one tiny addition brought about a massive shift in Tinordi's perspective.

"My mindset changed when we had a daughter," Tinordi said. "I've been with my wife a long time, and she's been through it all with me, and she's supported me the whole way which is awesome, but it was just me and her and I was a little bit too focused on hockey sometimes. I think you get yourself all worked up, but once my daughter was born, it sets you back a little bit and you look at the bigger picture. Now we have this daughter in the world that I've got to provide for, and she's what really matters; my family is what matters."

As the season progressed last winter, Tinordi was thrilled to have his family in Nashville, and as the NHL's Return To Play Plan takes effect, they'll be back in Music City soon enough.

However, Tinordi knows nothing is guaranteed in this business, and there's no telling what the future might hold. That's why he's enjoying every game, every practice, every moment he gets with a Predators logo on his jersey, a team to which he's undoubtedly shown his dedication.

"You never really know what day is going to be your last day in the NHL," Tinordi said. "The worst that can happen is they're going to send me down, and I've been down that road before and I'm fine with that. But I just try to enjoy the moment as much as I can, play my game and just enjoy the process. We have a great team in Nashville, and I'm excited to see what's next for us."