Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello, who last spring was hospitalized with a fractured skull after being struck by a shot and has returned this season to score 24 goals and 57 points, has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the New York chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
The trophy is awarded annually to an NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.
The 28-year-old Norwegian native was hit by Ryan McDonagh’s slap shot last April 24 in Game 5 of the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against Pittsburgh and suffered bleeding on the brain and lost his ability to speak for four days.