It feels good to be honored for an award, doesn't it? You get recognized for your best qualities and your peers see you as an incredible individual. One can only look at Marc-Andre Fleury winning the Vezina Trophy as a good example.
That was the case with Akira Schmid, who was nominated by the Vegas Chapter of the PHWA on Wednesday. The award? The Masterton Trophy, which is given to the NHL player who displays perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
The Vegas Chapter of @ThePHWA is honoured to announce Golden Knights goalie Akira Schmid as our nominee for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Trophy.
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) April 8, 2026
The award is given annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship & dedication to hockey.
This season, Schmid has respectable stats in net for the Golden Knights. He has a GAA of 2.59, a save percentage of .893, and two shutouts. Many have argued that the Swiss Olympian has been the lone bright spot in a bad Golden Knights goaltending room, keeping the team afloat during its most turbulent times.
So what better way to honor Schmid than to nominate him for being a class act? The Swiss Olympian has never been one to drum up controversy. Instead, he maintains a low profile and does whatever he can to help out his team on the ice.
It's something that the organization prides itself on regularly. Sure, the naysayers might point to questionable signings and controversial roster moves. However, Kelly McCrimmon knows where to find second chances and character guys. That's no different from Schmid, who's displayed sportsmanship and character every time he steps onto the ice.
It wouldn't be surprising to see him win the award, either. Guys like him deserve the trophy for not getting in any trouble. You can say that the award is essentially an anti-Jeremy Lauzon. But in this case, it's pro-Akira Schmid.