Seven WHL Alumni nominated for NHL’s Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey

Calgary, Alta. – Seven WHL Alumni have been named as nominees for the NHL’s Bill Masterton Trophy, presented annually by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.

Each NHL Club has one player nominated by the local chapter of the PHWA. The list will be narrowed to three finalists and a winner named at a future date.

WHL Alumni named as Masterton Trophy Nominees

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
Connor Ingram, Edmonton Oilers
Ozzy Wiesblatt, Nashville Predators
Brenden Dillon, New Jersey Devils
Matthew Robertson, New York Rangers
Laurent Brossoit, San Jose Sharks
Jordan Eberle, Seattle Kraken

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars

A 36-year-old native of Victoria, B.C., Benn has played more than 1,200 NHL regular season games, amassing 991 points (414G-577A) along the way. Prior to the 2013-14 season, he was named the sixth captain in Dallas Stars franchise history. Over the course of 17 seasons in the NHL, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound left winger has been named to two NHL First All-Star Teams (2014, 2016), one NHL Second All-Star Team (2015), and won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer.

Prior to joining the Stars, Benn starred in the WHL after being unselected in the WHL Bantam Draft. He went on to play 107 career regular season games as a member of the Kelowna Rockets, scoring 147 points (79G-68A). In 2008-09, he served as an alternate captain and led the 2009 WHL Playoffs in scoring as the Rockets claimed the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL Champions.

Benn was selected by the Stars in the fifth round (129th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft. He helped Canada earn a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, after helping his nation claim gold at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Connor Ingram, Edmonton Oilers

A 29-year-old native of Saskatoon, Sask., Ingram has played 133 career NHL regular season games over five seasons. The former Kamloops Blazers goaltender has openly discussed his mental health journey, and has persevered through numerous challenges over his career, including the death of his mother. In 2023-24 as a member of the Arizona Coyotes, Ingram enjoyed a career season, going 23-21-3 with a 2.91 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, and six shutouts, earning the Bill Masterton Trophy as recognition for his dedication to the game.

In 2025-26, Ingram was acquired by the Oilers from the Utah Mammoth and began the campaign with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Recalled to Edmonton in December 2025, Ingram has since solidified himself as the starting goaltender for the Oilers, going 29-15-10-3 with a 2.65 GAA and two shutouts.

Prior to advancing to the NHL, Ingram spent three seasons with the Kamloops Blazers, going 81-50-9-9 with a 2.68 GAA, .918 SV%, and 12 shutouts. Unselected in the WHL Bantam Draft, Ingram was named to the WHL’s Western Conference Second All-Star Team on two occasions (2016, 2017).

He was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round (88th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft and helped Canada earn a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Ozzy Wiesblatt, Nashville Predators

A 24-year-old product of Calgary, Alta., Wiesblatt is in his first full NHL season, having made the Nashville Predators out of training camp this fall. Wiesblatt’s arrival in Nashville came following the tragic passing of his older brother, Orca, in a car accident in September.

In 39 games with the Preds, Wiesblatt has registered five points (1G-4A), including his first career NHL marker, which came December 2, 2025, against his hometown Calgary Flames.

Wiesblatt grew up raised by a single mother, Kim White, who is deaf.

Prior to graduating to the NHL, Wiesblatt won a WHL Championship as a member of the Prince Albert Raiders in 2019. Over four seasons in Hockey Town North, the 5-foot-10, 183-pound centre tallied 179 points (58G-121A) in 195 games after being selected by the Raiders in the second round (25th overall) of the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft.

Wiesblatt was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (31st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Brenden Dillon, New Jersey Devils

A 35-year-old native of Surrey, B.C., Dillon returned to the Devils following off-season neck surgery. Not only did he return to the Devils blueline, he has played every single game this season and is averaging over 17 minutes of ice time per night.

On December 1, 2025, Dillon played in the 1,000th game of his NHL career, after going unselected in the NHL Draft.

Not only was Dillon unselected in the NHL Draft, he went unselected in the WHL Bantam Draft years prior. He caught on with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2007-08 and went on to play four seasons and 280 regular season games in the Emerald City. In his final season in Seattle, he served as team captain, amassing 59 points (8G-51A) in 72 games and earning an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars.

Since then, Dillon has played 1,056 NHL games spread across stints with the Stars, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, and Devils.

Matthew Robertson, New York Rangers

A 25-year-old product of Edmonton, Alta., Robertson became an NHL regular this season following four seasons in the American Hockey League. In 71 outings, he has secured 18 points (6G-12A) and a minus-3 rating, averaging 17:25 time on ice per game.

Selected by the Rangers in the second round (49th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Robertson spent four seasons patrolling the blueline for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, playing 208 career regular season contests and notching 127 points (31G-96A) along the way. He helped Canada to a gold medal at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was named a WHL Eastern Conference Second All-Star in 2020.

Across four AHL seasons with the Hartford Wolfpack, Robertson appeared in 250 career regular season games, posting 80 points (11G-69A).

Laurent Brossoit, San Jose Sharks

A 33-year-old native of Port Alberni, B.C., Brossoit returned to the NHL for the first time since April 2024, when he dressed for the Sharks on March 15 at Ottawa. He missed the entirety of the 2024-25 season recovering from hip and knee surgeries.

In 141 career NHL games, Brossoit has gone 64-47-13 with a 2.66 GAA, .910 SV%, and six shutouts. In 2023, he won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. Brossoit was selected by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round (164th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.

Prior to making the jump to pro hockey, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound puckstopper spent three seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings, appearing in 147 regular season games with a record of 88-34-4-9, a 2.59 GAA, .909 SV%, and 10 shutouts.

Selected by the Oil Kings in the second round (26th overall) of the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft, Brossoit backstopped the Oil Kings to a WHL Championship in 2012 and was named WHL Playoff MVP after going 16-4 with a 2.04 GAA, .933 SV%, and two shutouts.

Jordan Eberle, Seattle Kraken

A 35-year-old native of Calgary, Alta., Eberle returned as captain of the Seattle Kraken following a rare surgery for a serious pelvic injury last season.

Eberle not only returned in 2025-26, he came back to lead his team in goals (26) and points (55) over 78 games. It’s the latest season for the reliable scorer over a career that has spanned more than 1,100 NHL regular season outings. Across 16 NHL seasons, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Eberle has amassed 783 points (334G-449A) during stints with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Kraken.

Selected by the Oilers in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Eberle’s success began as a member of the Regina Pats in the WHL.

In 2007-08, he earned the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year. That same season, he was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team after scoring 75 points (42G-33A) in 70 games.

The following season, he helped Canada earn gold at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship. During the tournament, he recorded arguably the most famous goal in Canadian World Juniors history, scoring with 5.5 seconds remaining in regulation to tie Russia in semifinal action, forcing an overtime period and shootout, which Canada eventually won thanks to a shootout tally from Eberle.

In 2009-10, Eberle cemented himself as one of the best players in junior hockey, winning the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year. He was also named CHL Player of the Year after a campaign that included 106 points (50G-56A) in 57 games.

Originally selected by the Pats in the seventh round (126th overall) of the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft, Eberle enjoyed great success in the WHL, tallying 310 points (155G-155A) in 254 career WHL regular season contests.