On Wednesday, April 8, the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) announced the nominees for the 2026 Bill Masterton Trophy. This award is given out annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. Each local chapter selects one player from their respective team, and then the writers narrow it down to three finalists. From there, they will select one of the three finalists to receive the award at the end of the season.
The Seattle chapter of the PHWA has nominated captain Jordan Eberle of the Seattle Kraken for the Bill Masterton Trophy.
The PHWA stated this, regarding Eberle’s nomination: “A collision with the end boards in November left Jordan Eberle with a separated pubic symphysis joint, an injury so rare that Seattle’s medical staff could find no hockey player who had ever undergone the required surgery. The 35-year-old spent a month immobilized, progressing from a hospital bed to a wheelchair, to crutches, learning to walk again while his wife delivered their third child just two days after the procedure. With no established rehabilitation protocol, there was genuine uncertainty whether he would ever play again. After a grueling rehab, Eberle returned to the team and leads the Kraken in points this season, returning to the form the team’s captain was unsure he would ever find again.”
Eberle currently has 52 points via 25 goals and 28 assists in 73 games with the Kraken this season. As mentioned above, he currently leads the team in points. Although he wasn’t sure he would ever play hockey again, he is currently having the best season of his career with Seattle thus far. This is also his first 25-goal season since 2017-18, when he played with the New York Islanders.
Regardless of whether or not Eberle wins the trophy, he should still be proud and honored to receive a nomination. Eberle deserves the chance to be considered, after going from the uncertainty of whether he could ever play hockey again to becoming the Kraken’s point leader. He has stepped up and evolved his game exponentially, and continues to be a great leadership presence for Seattle.
