Kelvin Kuo – USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Stars were busy in the offseason, bringing in three seasoned veteran forwards in an attempt to boost scoring. Now, with only two games remaining in the regular season and nearly all hope of reaching the playoffs gone, Ray Whitney is the only one of those three forwards still on the Stars’ roster. Jaromir Jagr and Derek Roy came to the Stars before the season, but they were dealt away at the trade deadline (as was captain Brenden Morrow). Now, Whitney continues to tack on points in what has been an injury-shortened but impressive season. He was recently announced as the Stars’ nominee for the Masterton Memorial Trophy, an award that he would definitely be worthy of receiving.
The Masterton Memorial Trophy is named in honor of former Minnesota North Stars player Bill Masterton, who died as a result of injuries suffered during a game in 1968. It is awarded to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.” Whitney has definitely persevered this season, as he suffered a foot injury early in the season and tried to play through it before eventually missing a few weeks. In 30 games, he has scored 11 goals and collected 27 points, while providing veteran leadership for a Stars roster that has seen many young players get added over the course of the season.
In the last five games, Whitney has a goal and four assists, trying to do anything he can to help the Stars reach the postseason. He’s signed for next season too, and the chance the Stars took on the 40-year-old should continue to reward them. Even if the Stars fail to make the playoffs, they have a chance to ruin the chances of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings in their final two games.
Jonathan Katje is an NHL senior writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your circles on Google Plus.
