John Gibson has been selected as the Anaheim Ducks’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.

It’s been a tough season for Gibson, who had a pre-season appendectomy and endured several injuries throughout the season.

Gibson is currently on the shelf with a lower-body suffered on Apr. 3 and is unlikely to return this season.

But his absences due to injury shouldn’t take away from one of the better seasons he’s had in recent memory. Gibson won four of his first starts after making his first appearance of the season in November.

With Lukáš Dostál carrying a heavy workload to begin the season, Gibson’s return offered his younger counterpart the opportunity to take on less responsibility as the pair worked in tandem to mind Anaheim’s net.

The longest-tenured member of the Ducks following Cam Fowler’s trade to the St. Louis Blues in December, Gibson is just two wins away from tying Jean-Sébastien Giguère for first on the franchise’s all-time wins leaderboard.

It’s fair to assume Gibson would have passed Giguère by now if not for the injuries that have ailed Gibson this season, but the Ducks have also had plenty of opportunities to pick up their goaltender and failed to do so.

Trade rumors have swirled around Gibson for several seasons now and the 31-year-old has taken them in stride, never causing a scene publicly in the media.

Report: Gibson's Health Primary Concern over Contract, Ability The NHL trade deadline is upon us, and it is scheduled for Friday at noon PST. John Gibson is the top goaltender reportedly on the trade market, and his <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/report-gibsons-preferences-wants-to-be-number-one-starter">reported preferences</a> are the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes.

The only major occurrence related to a trade that was ever addressed by Gibson or his representation was when Dailh Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli declared on the Empty Netters Podcast in July 2023 that Gibson had asked for a trade and that he would not play another game for the Ducks. Gibson’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, released a statement refuting Seravalli’s report. Gibson has appeared in 75 games for the Ducks since then.

“He's a very likable guy,” Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. “He's been around a long time. The (players) genuinely like him, they gravitate to him. Good family man. He’s a great husband, a great father. You always look at those human qualities and those are very transferable. I think he’s taken on that role, this year, quite a bit.

“I think he's very generous with his time with the young kids. He’s a family-driven person. I think all those qualities have been very, very welcome here in the locker room.”