Tomas Hertl is a fun-loving guy. He brings a vibrant attitude and bubbly personality to the Vegas Golden Knights, brightening everyone's day. It isn't just Las Vegas that he does this, though. He also did this in San Jose, bringing smiles to the Bay Area.
It turns out he might bring some hardware home with him this season. The NHL announced candidates for the Masterton Trophy on Wednesday, with each team getting a representative. Hertl is representing the Golden Knights, which comes from his loose, happy-go-lucky personality.
The Bill Masterton Trophy is awarded to the NHL player by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Each local chapter nominates a team's respective star. The award exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Last season's winner was Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes. There has never been a Masterton Trophy winner representing the Vegas Golden Knights. However, there have been players who won the award before playing for Vegas.
That includes Max Pacioretty (2012 with the Montreal Canadiens) and Robin Lehner (2019 with the New York Islanders). Phil Kessel also won the award in 2007 with the Boston Bruins. That was before his lone season in Las Vegas, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2023.
Why Tomas Hertl is the perfect Vegas Golden Knights representative for the Masterton Trophy
Let's be honest here. Have you ever seen Tomas Hertl get into a fit of rage on the ice? Have you seen him fight another player like Matt Rempe? This isn't Ryan Reaves we're talking about here. This is Tomas Hertl.
The "Fun Must Be Always" ambassador has been a beacon of sportsmanship and gentlemanly behavior throughout his NHL career. This season, he only has 20 penalty minutes. His NHL career only has 276 minutes to his name.
No, this isn't asking Hertl to be the front-runner for the Lady Byng Trophy. However, it's asking him to display sportsmanship and classiness as an NHL player. That's exactly what the center does, playing each game as clean as possible and without any over-the-top reactions.
Who else deserved some love for the Bill Masterton Trophy?
Personally, Mark Stone deserved plenty of love for the Bill Masterton Trophy. He's the type of player who exemplifies leadership and sportsmanship in every sense. Sure, plenty of hockey fans will disagree and call him the "dirtiest player around." However, he has 13 penalty minutes this season and has had 229 throughout his career.
He's also been a good figure hockey-wise, staying out of trouble at every turn. You also can't go wrong with Adin Hill, who's maintained a level head throughout the 2024-25 season. The netminder hasn't done anything brash, although he's had his bad months.
You could choose from a plethora of names here, too. It doesn't matter if it's the obvious names like Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, or even Ivan Barbashev. Golden Knights fans have a laundry list to choose from. That's the beauty of being a fan of a prestigious organization, after all. You have no shortage of players who play by the rules.