Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks has been nominated for the Masterton Trophy by the PHWA.
The Professional Hockey Writers Association has announced its 32 nominees for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which will go to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Chicago’s chapter of the PHWA has selected goalie Spencer Knight as the nominee for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Knight was the 13th overall pick by the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Draft. After spending some time with the Boston College Eagles following a wonderful tenure with the United States National Team Development Program, he made his NHL debut with Florida in March of 2021.
It was a strange decision for Florida to draft a goalie so high right before signing a future Hall of Fame goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky to a lucrative seven-year deal, but it worked out for them as they've won two Stanley Cups since.
For a while, Knight had to work his way up. There were other goalies ahead of him on the depth chart besides Bobrovsky, so his playing time was limited outside of his first stint with Florida, where he appeared (and played great) in the postseason.
There were some struggles for Knight on and off the ice along the way. For one, a decline in his play early on earned him a trip back to the AHL for a while.
In February of 2023, Knight entered the NHL Player Assistance Program to receive care. Since then, he has come back in a big way.
On March 1st, 2025, Florida traded Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he would be given a chance to start. Chicago quickly handed him the keys as the number one goaltender, and he has been incredible.
Knight has kept the Blackhawks in a lot of games that they had no business competing in this year. His record of 18-23-11 reflects playing on a losing team, but he does have a 2.72 goals against average and .907 save percentage.
His ability to make high-danger saves and play the puck up to his defensemen makes him a valuable goaltender to have. His story of how he reached this point is inspiring.
Team USA ultimately stuck with their same trio of goalies for the Olympics from the 4-Nations Face-Off, but Knight's name was in the mix. By 2030 in France, he will have a great chance to be their guy if he keeps on the same trajectory.
For now, he should be proud of this nomination. He has clearly been dedicated to becoming an NHL goalie. Through all struggles on and off the ice, he persevered and is now one of the best in the game. This Masterton nomination proves it.
Pit Martin (1970) and Bryan Berard (2004) are the only two Blackhawks to ever claim the Masterton Trophy.
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