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Manny Malhotra - Masterton Finalist

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andyt

Canes Moderator
Staff member
Manny Malhotra was named a finalist for the Masterton Tropy, awarded "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." The trophy is voted on by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The other finalists are Jaromir Jagr and Dominic Moore of the Rangers.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=717280&navid=nhl:topheads
 
Congrats to Manny! I hope he gets the award and recognition he deserves. His story is one that should be made into one of those feel good Disney movies!
 
Hopefully Jagr's star power doesn't steal this away from Moore or Malhotra. I would be ok with either Moore or Malhotra winning. Moore's story is compelling as well having sat out all of last season tending to and unfortunately losing his wife to liver cancer. Its hard to root against Dominic Moore even with Malhotra being another candidate.
 
I agree, Cmal. Both Moore and Maholtra are worthy candidates. Jagr's motivation seems to come from his bank account....
 
Good for Manny ... nothing against the other two, but a guy who was written off as damaged beyond repair just a year ago and who put in the kind of work he did deserves this award.
 
I suspect Moore is going to get the award, and as much as I admire Manny for his comeback and the way he plays the game, I would have no problem with that.
 
I agree Moore will likely win it but Malhotra is deserving as well. I just can't figure out how Jagr got on the list? I mean he is old but he is also one of the best right wings to ever play. Don't understand his inclusion. Couldn't the NHL find anyone else overcoming some obstacle besides age?
 
CarolinaPen said:
I agree Moore will likely win it but Malhotra is deserving as well. I just can't figure out how Jagr got on the list? I mean he is old but he is also one of the best right wings to ever play. Don't understand his inclusion. Couldn't the NHL find anyone else overcoming some obstacle besides age?
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Remember that that the trophy goes to to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication" to the game. When you can continue to play at Jagr's level at 42 years old, there's little question about your perseverance and dedication. I strongly doubt he'll win, but having him be named one of the finalists is an appropriate tribute.
 
Is there any precedent for TWO players winning the award the same year? This would be a good year for that... Moore gets it for sure otherwise, but Manny certainly has overcome what was supposed to be a career ending injury, a life altering injury - and seems to have adapted far better in all respects than anyone could have possibly imagined realistically.
 
I would imagine if there is a tie in the voting (if that is possible) there would be co-winners. Malhotra will be hard pressed to win over Dominic Moore. Moore's story and return to hockey after the tragedy that beset him before last season began would get my vote. Malhotra is deserving too, but I can't imagine the emotions Moore had to overcome to return back to the ice 8 months after his loss.
 
Big factor with Moore ... who I would consider a perfectly worthy winner BTW ... is that he plays in New York now. So half the danged world is familiar with and invested emotionally in his story. Manny ... not so much. His saga played out largely in Raleigh and Vancouver away from media attention.
 
Both Manny and Dominic are deserving. I agree with some radio guys yesterday, who said Jagr really has no chance, and shouldn't. Sure, he's done great to be viable at his age, but what if he had taken that approach to fitness 20 years ago? Not even the same league as the other two nominees.
 
CarolinaPen said:
I agree Moore will likely win it but Malhotra is deserving as well. I just can't figure out how Jagr got on the list? I mean he is old but he is also one of the best right wings to ever play. Don't understand his inclusion. Couldn't the NHL find anyone else overcoming some obstacle besides age?
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It has become the comeback trophy for whomever had the worse injury/tragedy but that was not the original intent. Which was, "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." It has often been awarded for a lifetime achievement, body-of-work. Among those were Steve Yzerman and Rob Blake. In that spirit, Jagr is most certainly deserving.
 
I guess if you fully look at the definition and the "perseverance" aspects...then he definitely deserves it as he is 42 and put up great numbers. I got caught up in the whole "overcome" aspects of the award as that is what always seems to win it for as long as I can remember.
 
There's a sportswriter out of Florida somewhere who called out Maholtra's nomination and thought Ed Jovanovski as more worthy.
I totally understand Dominic Moore of the Rangers as the one-time Panther center played with a heavy heart this year after losing his wife, Katie, to liver cancer in January 2013. I also get Jaromir Jagr, who at 42, led the Devils with 67 points, but Manny Malhotra? All Malhotra did was make it back into the NHL after signing a PTO with the Charlotte Checkers in October. Malhotra had a meager 13 points in 69 games. Really? Over Jovanovski, who at 37 is believed to be the first professional athlete in the four major team sports in the U.S. to make it back from major hip surgery, a technique called hip resurfacing or one step below a complete hip replacement.
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http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...0140430_1_jovo-ed-jovanovski-masterton-trophy
 
Sour

don-cherry-8.jpg
 
Good argument, I guess, for Jovo. He, like Malhotra, was probably told "you will never play again".

Jovanovski might’ve slowed down but he still provided leadership on and off the ice, while only missing second games of back to backs since he came back in January after basically mssing a season and a half. Jovo played in 37 games and had five points with a respectable minus-6 ice rating on a poor team.
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But that doesn't make his case any better than Manny's. Manny played in more games, scored more points, and provided just as much leadership. There's certainly no case for the writer using the word "appalling". Jovo can be #4, ok dude?
 
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