The NY chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association has nominated RW Jed Ortmeyer for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies "perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.'
Ortmeyer's career, of course, almost was derailed in August by pulmonary embolism, and his quest to come back was not only a physical, but emotional, struggle that was well-chronicled in Newsday and elsewhere.
The scrappy U.S.-born right wing, who also wears knee braces, worked out with abandon to stay in shape, and came back as energetic as ever as one of the team's best penalty-killers.
I weighed voting for Jed or Marty Straka, but ended up with Jed on my ballot.
Anyway, thanks again to Dr. Staple for making the cameo appearance and it's on to Philly, from where I will dutifully report tomorrah.
Comments (2)
Good choice Steve. Straka is one of my favorite players on this team, but Ortmeyer deserves recognition for what he fought through. And while community involvement isn't necessarily part of the Masterton criteria, I was especially impressed with how, despite being unsure about the future of his career in hockey, he served as an ambassador at just about every Rangers-related community event through the first half of the season. He's fought an uphill battle to get where he is, and it was great to see him be able to come back and play with all the energy and passion Ranger fans have come to love him.
Jed was the same team person at Michigan that he is with the Rangers. When he blew out his knees playing for Michigan, Red Berenson taught him how to be a scout, so that he could continue to help the team, I know even if his playing career ended, he would still find someway to remain with the Rangers and be a major contributor to the organization.