Buffalo Sabres forward Ryan O’Reilly was announced as the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy earlier today.
The announcement was met with mixed reviews. Some support the nomination, while others – including yours truly – find it troublesome.
Of course, the reason it’s found troublesome circles back to O’Reilly’s ongoing court case surrounding the summer incident where he drove drunk into a Tim Hortons, then fled the scene on foot.
O’Reilly’s blood alcohol-content at the time was at the legal limit.
A few weeks after the incident, the Buffalo Sabres gave him a leadership position, naming him an assistant captain.