(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
(Photo/AP)

Kris Letang became the latest winner of the NHL’s Bill Masterton Trophy at Tuesday night’s NHL Awards ceremony in Nashville. The award is given to the NHL player voted to “best exemplify the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey” as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The longtime defenseman played in 64 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, despite suffering a second stroke in November of 2022. He returned to the ice in December, but then dealt with a broken foot at the turn of the new year, followed by the passing of his father, Claude Fouquet, soon after. Letang scored 12 goals and 29 assists for a total of 41 points on the blue line; three of the 12 goals he scored were game-winners.

Letang joins two other Penguins in winning the award: Mario Lemieux, who won it in 1993, and 1973 winner Lowell MacDonald.