Masterton Trophy could be next for Marleau
San Jose forward is among nominees for sportsmanship award
Patrick Marleau is nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL for sportsmanship.
This season’s celebration of Patrick Marleau might not be done just yet.
The Shanks’ Marleau is among the nominees for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.
Marleau’s credentials: He became merely the NHL’s all-time leader for games played, eclipsing Gordie Howe’s mark last month with his 1,768th appearance.
That record now stands at 1,778 games by Marleau, the Sharks’ No. 2 overall draft pick in 1997 who’s scored the most goals (522) and points (1,111) in franchise history. His recordbreaking feat came with an abundance of adulation from around the league and sports world.
“It’s super special to have that respect, to have guys say such kind words,” Marleau said April 19. “You go into battle with these guys, day in and day out, you play against them. They know the grind, they know what it
takes to play in this league, and for them to show that respect and have all these kind words, it’s very humbling.”
Marleau, 41, will wrap up his 23rd season — and 21st as part of the Sharks — on Wednesday night when sixth-place San Jose (21-277) hosts the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights (39-13-2). The puck drops at 6 p.m. at SAP Center.
Marleau would become the first Sharks’ player to win the Masterton Trophy since Tony Granato became the franchise’s first recipient in 1997. Granato had returned
from a brain injury a year earlier and scored 25 goals that 1996-97 season.
Marleau was nominated
by the San Jose chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, which awards the Masterton Trophy.
Marleau has not scored a goal in his past 16 games, including the April 19 shootout loss to Vegas in which he passed Howe’s record.
He has not missed an NHL game since April 9, 2009, a streak spanning 909 consecutive regular-season games that is the fourthlongest in NHL history. He also ranks among hockey greats with 566 total goals (No. 23 all-time), 109 gamewinning goals (No. 7 tied), 1,197 points (No. 50) and 631 assists (No. 80).
Of those game-winning goals, he’s scored one against every current NHL team (Sharks included) except for Wednesday’s season-finale foe, the Golden Knights.