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Vancouver’s PHWA chapter selects Henrik Sedin as Canucks’ Masterton Trophy nominee
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Thomas Drance
Mar 31, 2015, 13:25 EDTUpdated:
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Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports
The Vancouver chapter of the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association (PHWA) has nominated Henrik Sedin as for the 2015 Masterton Trophy.
The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually “to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Unlike the other major NHL awards, which have just three finalists, each local PHWA chapter selects a team Masterton nominee. From there the entire PHWA then votes on the Masterton Trophy winner from among that group of 30, three finalists are named, and the winner is chosen at the NHL’s annual Awards Gala.
Sedin has obviously been selected for bouncing back impressively from a depressing and injury plagued 2013-14 campaign. His nomination comes with a tinge of controversy though. 
Read on past the jump for more.
The controversy? The Vancouver chapter of the PHWA really wanted to elect the Sedin twins as a single entity, according to Vancouver Province beat writer Jason Botchford – who is the Vancouver Chapter’s chair member: 
Henrik will be named the Vancouver nominee for the Masterton tomorrow.
This is voted on by the local chapter of the writers’ association.
It was deemed difficult to pick Henrik over Daniel.
Identical contracts, and seasons. Same professionalism, dedication and perseverance and accomplishments this year, which include bouncing back from an injury-ravaged season, and the only players older than 30 in the top 20 in scoring.
An idea was hatched locally to vote the Sedins as a twosome, rather than as individuals. How can you pick one and not the other in something like this?
This was not well supported by the association as a whole.
And that’s how/why Henrik ended up being the nominee.
Realistically either Sedin twin – though both Daniel and Henrik are deserving nominees – seem unlikely to win the award over the likes of Kris Letang, Devan Dubnyk or Marc Staal. So a dual nomination would’ve been a cool gesture, particularly because it likely would’ve come out in the wash. (Full disclosure – I’m a member of the PHWA’s international chapter). 
The official press release from the Canucks elaborated on the reasoning behind the Vancouver chapter’s nomination of Henrik:
Sedin, 34, is nominated for being a consummate leader and a true example of what it means to be a role model for both younger and veteran players. The Ornskoldsvik, SWE native holds the Canucks franchise record iron man streak, playing in 679 consecutive games over a span of nine seasons. Since the streak ended on Jan. 21, 2014 he has missed only eight games due to injury and has now played in 81 straight games, including all 76 games of the 2014-15 season.
Hard to argue with that.

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