Bellemare proud to be a Masterton Trophy nominee
PHILADELPHIA >> Media members who regularly cover the Flyers voted Pierre-Edouard Bellemare as this year’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication” to the game.
Bellemare should be a strong candidate, as one of only two players in the league from France, and a player who didn’t make it to the NHL ranks until he was at a relatively advanced age.
“I don’t know, you tell me,” Bellemare said Tuesday. “Make the NHL at 29 years old. (Being) from France. It’s kind of a different route; not really the usual type of NHL journey.”
Now 32, Bellemare is in his third season with the Flyers. Though his onice work is essentially limited to defensive work as a fourth-line center and penalty killer, he won a twoyear contract extension at the end of February, then the next day was awarded an “A” as the alternate captain replacement for the traded Mark Streit.
“Being the alternate captain was a surprise,” Bellemare said. “I’m really happy about it. I’ve just been trying to focus on what I can do to help the team. I got rewarded with a big A on the jersey. I never expected it, especially after being so late to the NHL. I’ve had that role before, but I never thought I’d get it in the NHL. I’m super happy, and now with this (Masterton nomination) coming up ...
“You don’t work to try to get those kinds of awards,” Bellemare continued. “My way to work is to be helpful in any way possible. Sometimes it can be on the bench, just to support the guys. Sometimes it’s to be annoying (presumably to the other team). And sometimes, it would be on the ice and try to make a big play on the (penalty kill), which is the role that I have here.
“So you don’t work for these rewards, but it sure feels nice when somebody notices the work that you are doing.”
Three Flyers have won the Masterton in the team’s 50 years: Bob Clarke, Tim Kerr and current assistant coach Ian Laperriere.
Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said of Bellemare’s candidacy: “If you look at the definition of the award, I think he fits the bill, absolutely. He’s a great person, a great teammate and leader. He’s a guy that night in and night out, leaves everything he has out on the ice.”
*** Wayne Simmonds went into the Senators game still looking for his 30th goal of the season. He surpassed the 30 mark once in his career (2015-16) and knocked on the door with 29 goals two other times as a Flyer, last season and in 2013-14. But even though Simmonds was a minus-21 through Monday, this might have been his most solid season, considering a number of teammates around him did not perform up to the level they had in recent seasons.
The Flyers are one of the lower-scoring teams in the East (again), and their power play was streaky (and mediocre) at best. Before Brayden Schenn deflected a Shayne Gostisbehere shot for a game-tying power play goal against the Senators Tuesday night, the Flyers were in the midst of a 3-for-46 power play drought in the month of March.
That, of course, is partand-parcel Simmonds’ misfortune and own doing, since he’s such a big part of the power play. But either way...
“For me, I don’t look at individual statistics or individual anything,” Simmonds said earlier in the day. “For me to consider a season a success it’s got to be team-wise. This season hasn’t been the greatest. I thought we could have been a lot better. But we still have seven games to go ... So who knows? You win seven, some teams falter, and whatever happens, happens.
“We’re going to continue to play hard ... we’re just going to try to win every game that we possibly can.”
*** NOTES >> There’s media speculation north of the border that Ron Hextall could be the leading contender for the position of general manager for Team Canada for the IIHF World Hockey Championships after the season. Of course, that’s only if the Flyers miss the playoffs. Of course, that’s one reason why Hextall is being talked about as a leading contender. Canada will be the top-ranked team in the tourney and presumably if Hextall was appointed to (and accepts) the job, he’d likely bring a few of his guys with him to play. ... Roman Lyubimov and Nick Schultz were healthy scratches against the Sens. Nick Cousins missed his seventh straight game due to injury.