The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.
During the 2019-20 NHL season, Bobby Ryan earned that award.
Ryan became an inspiring story of redemption when he decided to seek help for alcohol abuse. The Ottawa Senators allowed Ryan to leave after Ryan decided he could not deal with the problem on his own.
Upon his February return to the ice, he opened up publically about his battle. This led him to become even more of a fan favourite in the city, and it makes the news of his reported waiving from the Sens with intent to buy out a little more upsetting.
Following the reports, Ian Mendes reached out to Ryan to see if he had anything he wanted to share. Ryan sent back a heartfelt message to the Senators, the arena workers, and the fans that had welcomed him into Ottawa so warmly.
While it’s always tough to hear you’re being bought out, Ryan accepted the news with class. Now the question becomes; which team could use him?
(H/T Ian Mendes)
