Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan was brought to tears accepting the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the wife of his late friend and teammate, Johnny Gaudreau.
In an emotional video posted by the NHL on Thursday, Monahan was surprised with the trophy — awarded to “the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey” — by Meredith Gaudreau, whose husband was tragically killed last August on the eve of his sister’s wedding.
“When I was asked to be part of this surprise, I was so honored, so excited,” Meredith said in the video. “Sean stood by my side for every tribute, every walkout and I dragged him out there to cry with me on national television so many times but I’m excited about this one because this one celebrates Sean.”
Monahan and Gaudreau played nine seasons together for the Calgary Flames. They reunited in Columbus last July when Monahan signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract in free agency.
Their dream of taking the ice together again was crushed just weeks before training camp when Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed by an alleged drunk driver while riding bicycles in New Jersey.
Through the heartache, Monahan stood strong and often delivered emotional words and tributes while in road arenas. He recorded 19 goals and 38 assists in 54 games en route to receiving the Masterton Trophy.
“Sean, you mean everything to John … this one’s about you,” Meredith said with tears in her eyes. “You persevered through one of the hardest things and you just lead by example and this one’s just celebrating your character and how good of a person you are. I know John is so proud of you.”
Monahan also welled up while he accepted the honor.
“Winning that Bill Masterton Trophy means a lot to me. It’s a real big honor. It’s a lot of special names on that trophy and the meaning behind it — it’s something I take great pride in in day-to-day life being on a team, being a father, a husband,” he said. “It’s a special thing and obviously fresh right now and something I’m definitely going to be reflecting on a lot.”
Many felt that Monahan was a shoo-in for the award, considering his excellent season while persevering through something as tough as losing a teammate and best friend.
The NHL’s move to include Gaudreau’s wife in the moment was certainly a classy one that made it even more special.
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