Winnipeg Jets goalie Brossoit gets nod as Masterton Trophy nominee

The Winnipeg Jets’ backup goaltender may not see receive as much attention as the team’s all-star starter, but his quiet dedication to the game has earned him a nod for a prestigious NHL award.

Laurent Brossoit, the Jets announced Friday, is Winnipeg’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy — an annual award that goes to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Brossoit, 31, is currently in his second stint with the Jets, having served as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup from 2018 to 2021 before moving to the Vegas Golden Knights, with whom he won a Stanley Cup championship in 2023.

Since his return to Winnipeg this season, Brossoit has a 13-5-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

The 2011 Edmonton Oilers draft pick’s career has included a number of serious injuries as well as back-and-forth movement between the NHL and the minors, and Brossoit’s journey from uncertainty to a solid role in the pros is what earned him the Masterton nod.

“I’ve always known I have the ability to be one of the best goalies in the world, so I think that was my biggest motivator in not giving up and making sure I take advantage of every day to get healthy,” Brossoit said in a statement Friday.

“Having gone down to what felt like rock bottom and then back up to the tippy top, starting for the best team in the league. Then I was, all of a sudden, on cloud nine and then it was taken away just like that.… I didn’t know that I could handle as much as I did last year, not even close, so it’s a blessing that I got the opportunity to experience it.”

The award is named for the late Bill Masterton, a Winnipegger, and the only player in NHL history to die after an injury he sustained in a hockey game.

Masterton, who played for the Minnesota North Stars, died in January 1968 after an internal brain injury caused by an in-game hit.

The trophy was named in his honour later that year, and the winner is chosen by a poll of Professional Hockey Writers’ Association members.

Brossoit is one of 32 nominees — one for each team.

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