Nick Foligno voted as Bruins’ nominee for 2023 Masterton Trophy amid bounce-back season
“It's been nice to be able to contribute the way I want to and then help this team, on and off the ice."
Nick Foligno has made the most of his second season in Boston, establishing himself as a key cog in the Bruins’ bottom-six corps.
For his efforts in righting the ship from an oft-injured debut campaign with Boston in 2021-22, Foligno was voted as the Bruins’ nominee for the 2023 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
Awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication, Foligno’s nomination comes via voting from the Boston chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).
“It’s a nice honor,” Foligno said of the nomination. “I think it’s just more you think about the guys — I’m always one, it’s more about team awards. So I get a little weird when I hear those things. But it’s a great honor. I’m humbled by it and appreciative and I’m more looking for the ones we get as a team together.”
Foligno struggled to find traction in his first run-through with the Bruins, dealing with nagging injuries through the 2021-22 season. Limited to just two goals and 13 total points in 64 games last year, Foligno buried 10 goals and posted 26 points over 60 games during Boston’s record-setting run in 2022-23.
Beyond his surge in tangible production, Foligno’s veteran presence, physicality and two-way game have made him a valuable asset in Boston’s lineup. The 35-year-old forward will look to return to the ice during the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing the last six weeks with a lower-body injury.
“I think that was my plan for this year — just come back and be the player that I knew I should be and envision being when I signed here,” Foligno said of his approach in 2022-23. “It was unfortunate what happened, but I’m just looking at the now and being in a moment and with this group, I’ve always said that from Day 1 — how much I love this group and really enjoyed being their teammates and brother, so to speak.
“It’s been nice to be able to contribute the way I want to and then help this team, on and off the ice. I think that’s where this year has meant a lot to me in that way and then what we’re trying to do. It’s been a special year, we’ve talked about it — this group, what we’re trying to accomplish and every day trying to get better, push each other. These guys have made me a better person, and player. And hopefully, I’ve done the same thing. So it’s been a really fun year.”
The Bruins have had four Masterton winners since the introduction of the award in 1968, including Phil Kessel in 2007, Cam Neely in 1993-94, Gord Kluzak in 1989-90, and Charlie Simmer in 1985-86.
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