The Winnipeg Jets’ backup goalie may not get as much attention as the team's main goalie, but his quiet commitment to the sport has earned him a nomination for a respected NHL award.
Laurent Brossoit, the Jets' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, represents the NHL player who shows perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Brossoit, 31, is in his second term with the Jets, having been Connor Hellebuyck’s backup from 2018 to 2021 before moving to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won a Stanley Cup championship in 2023.
Since returning to Winnipeg this season, Brossoit has a 13-5-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
The 2011 Edmonton Oilers draft pick has faced several serious injuries and moved back and forth between the NHL and the minors. Brossoit’s journey from uncertainty to a key role in the pros is what earned him the Masterton nomination.
The #NHLJets are proud to announce that goaltender Laurent Brossoit has been named the team's nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Winnipeg chapter of @ThePHWAhttps://t.co/sFFq2G9gpM
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 5, 2024
“I’ve always known I have the ability to be one of the best goalies in the world, so I think that was my biggest motivator in not giving up and making sure I take advantage of every day to get healthy,” Brossoit said in a statement Friday.
“Having gone down to what felt like rock bottom and then back up to the tippy top, starting for the best team in the league. Then I was, all of a sudden, on cloud nine and then it was taken away just like that.… I didn’t know that I could handle as much as I did last year, not even close, so it’s a blessing that I got the opportunity to experience it.”
The award is named for the late Bill Masterton, a Winnipeg native, who is the only player in NHL history to die from an injury sustained in a hockey game.
Masterton, who played for the Minnesota North Stars, died in January 1968 after an internal brain injury caused by an in-game hit.
The trophy was named in his honor later that year, and the recipient is chosen by a poll of Professional Hockey Writers’ Association members.
Brossoit is one of 32 nominees — one for each team.
