The Utah Mammoth today announced that forward Clayton Keller has been selected by the Utah Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) as its nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
“Clayton is certainly deserving of this Masterton Trophy nomination,” said Bill Armstrong, general manager of the Utah Mammoth. “Clayton persevered through one of the hardest life events a man can encounter with tremendous leadership, perseverance, and resilience. It’s just one of many examples of why Clayton is an exemplary captain and the entire organization is extremely proud of everything he’s accomplished this season.”
Earlier this season on Thanksgiving, Keller, 27, received the tragic news that his father, Bryan, passed away unexpectedly at his home. Utah’s captain has shown his perseverance and dedication to hockey by having another elite season, leading the team in scoring and bringing the Mammoth to the cusp of their first-ever playoff berth. Keller also achieved a lifelong goal that was shared with his father, which was being named to the Team USA roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics and helping snap a 46-year gold medal drought.
Keller has registered 26-54-80 in 77 games in 2025-26 and leads all Mammoth skaters in assists, points, even-strength points (23-33-56), multi-point games (26), and overtime goals (4). The 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward is one of only 16 NHL players to tally 70 or more points in each of the last four seasons, and he is just the third player in league history to reach the 80-point mark in each of a franchise’s first two campaigns. Keller has posted at least three points in a team-high nine games this season, and he recently matched his season high with four points (3g, 1a) as part of his first Mammoth hat trick at Vancouver on April 4. He also scored the overtime winner on the power play against Edmonton on April 7, and his career-high four overtime goals in 2025-26 are tied for the second-most in the NHL.
The winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy is selected in a poll of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season, and a grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.
The trophy was presented by the NHL Writers' Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player for the Minnesota North Stars who exhibited, to a high degree, the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after an injury sustained during a game.
