MAY 10, 2021
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association has nominated Blue Jackets forward Zac Dalpe for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the club announced today. The award is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Dalpe, 31, registered two goals and an assist for three points with 22 shots, while averaging 10:37 of ice time in 12 games with Columbus in 2020-21. This season saw him appear in his first NHL games since a one-game stint with the club in 2018-19. He also notched his first goal as a Blue Jacket on April 6 vs. Tampa Bay, which was his first NHL goal since Oct. 20, 2016 vs. Toronto while playing with the Minnesota Wild.
A native of Paris, Ontario, Dalpe has recorded 2-2-4 and 13 penalty minutes in 25 outings with the Blue Jackets since making his franchise debut on Oct. 6, 2017 vs. the NY Islanders. Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, 45th overall, at the 2008 NHL Draft, Dalpe has collected 14-14-28 and 36 penalty minutes in 153 career NHL contests over 10 NHL campaigns with the Blue Jackets, Wild, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and Hurricanes from 2010-21.
The 6-2, 197-pound forward added 3-1-4 and five penalty minutes in five appearances with the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters in 2020-21. He was selected to serve as the team’s captain in each of the past two seasons. In 2019-20, he notched 7-4-11 in 18 games before suffering a knee injury on November 21 and missing the rest of the campaign. He has totaled 151-134-285, 185 penalty minutes and a cumulative +17 plus/minus rating in 383 career AHL games with the Monsters, Iowa Wild, Rochester Americans, Utica Comets, Charlotte Checkers and Albany River Rats from 2010-21. Dalpe played college hockey at The Ohio State University, posting 34-36-70 in 76 games over two seasons from 2008-10.
The winner of the Masterton Trophy is selected by a poll of the 31 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 year’s winner was Brian Boyle of the New Jersey Devils. Previous Blue Jackets nominees for the award include: Kevin 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), Nick Foligno (2013-14, 2014-15 and finalist in 2018-19), Fedor Tyutin (2015-16), Sergei Bobrovsky (2016-17), Zach Werenski (2017-18) and Nathan Gerbe (2019-20).
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