Chicago Blackhawks: Andrew Shaw deserves this Masterton honor

Andrew Shaw recently announced his retirement from the National Hockey League. It was sad to see him do it because of injuries instead of just wanting to be done but his health is the most important thing. The Chicago Blackhawks were lucky enough to have him for two separate stints and make up most of his career. There have been some great moments over the last decade or so. He has been one of the key role players for an organization that had so much success.

Andrew Shaw of the Chicago Blackhawks has been nominated for the Masterton.

Andrew Shaw is the Chicago Blackhawks nominee for the NHL’s Masterton Trophy. That trophy is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. All 31 teams have a nominee and Shaw is the honorable player to receive it from the Hawks.

We will find out later who the final three nominees are and eventually who wins it. Being a team’s representative is an honor in its own right. Shaw is certainly someone who deserves this as his career comes to an end. It will be interesting to see who actually wins it due to the fact that it was a tough year for every person.

Shaw has had multiple concussions that kept him out for a long time. Eventually, the doctors said that he would be wise to hang them up. He admitted that it was going to be the first time that he ever listened to someone other than himself. It does show how dedicated and strong he is as he kept coming back which is why he is well-deserving of this. He only played in 14 games this season after all the work he put in to be back so that says a lot.

Shaw’s career is going to end with a total of 116 goals and 131 assists for 247 points in 544 games played. He was the perfect player to plug into any situation. He could play on a top line or a fourth line, kill penalties or play on the power play. His versatility really helped Joel Quenneville (in the prime years) make up a really nice lineup that had a chance to win every night. His impact in the playoffs can’t be understated either. He came up big a lot.

It would be really cool to see Andrew Shaw return to the game in some way, shape, or form. His Masterton nomination proves how much he loves the game and how he is seen by NHL organizations. His return one day in either media, coaching, or management certainly would be cool. This is a well-deserved honor for a very good player.