As the NHL regular season reaches the end of a long road, the end-of-the-year award nominees begin to unfurl.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominees are available. Nick Seeler will represent the Philadelphia Flyers.
He stepped away from hockey. Then, Chuck Fletcher gave him another chance with the Flyers. He’s one of the hardest-working defensemen on the roster and became a fan favorite in Philadelphia during 2021-2023, an ongoing rough patch in franchise history.
“I just needed a mental and physical break. A few months went by, and [I] started to get that fire, that passion back; that true passion for the game.”
Nick Seeler; 2/10/2023
Seeler didn’t play during the 2020-2021 season. He split time between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks, totaling twelve games in 2019-2020. Before that, he spent his career with the Wild since 2017-2018. Fletcher never forgot Seeler, calling upon him in the home opener of the 2021-2022 season versus the Vancouver Canucks with Rasmus Ristolainen out of the lineup.
He became a fan favorite during his second game in Philadelphia. When the Flyers played host to the Seattle Kraken for the first time in NHL history, Seeler made his mark. He and Jamie Oleksiak stood toe-to-toe, throwing haymakers. After the blood splattered, he made the Wells Fargo Center get loud, hyping the hometown crowd. A raw defenseman, his tenacity sparked a city.
His hard work didn’t go unnoticed. Seeler quietly had one of the better seasons of any Flyers defenseman on the roster.
Seeler is the only defenseman on the Flyers with a plus rating through 80 games, playing in 76. His fourteen points are a career-high with the parts that make up his scoring (4G, 10A). He made over a hundred hits and blocked over a hundred shots, the first time he broke one hundred in both categories during a season. It is his best effort since 2018-2019; the last time he passed 70 games played in a season.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy goes to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. Seeler stepped away to reset, prioritizing his mental and physical well-being. He proved that mental health needs to be prioritized higher, and it could help translate to the ice.
A season ago, Seeler did his part to win over Philadelphia, playing his role. This year, he won over John Tortorella. Seeler keeps earning his stripes. Never resting on his laurels, Seeler continues to learn and improve in the NHL. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“That’s been my mindset since I was younger; always never satisfied, always trying to continue to grow my game.”
Nick Seeler; 2/10/2023
In a team press release, Seeler added:
“I’m truly honored and humbled to be nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Thank you to those who voted for me and the entire Flyers organization for making these past two years feel like home. Of course, thank you to my family and close friends for always supporting me throughout my hockey journey.”
Nick Seeler; 4/10/2023
Two seasons ago, Oskar Lindblom received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Last year, Kevin Hayes was a finalist.
(Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)
