Jonny Brodzinski was named the New York Rangers nominee for the 2024-25 Bill Masterton Trophy on Wednesday.
The award is given to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
All of these qualities represent exactly who Brodzinski is. Here’s why all three of these traits are entrenched in his blood.
Perseverance: Brodzinski has been persevering throughout his entire hockey career.
Since being drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 2013, it’s been an uphill battle for Brodzinski to become a regular NHL player.
Through his tenure with the Kings, Brodzinski spent the majority of his time in the American Hockey League.
Even when Brodzinski was almost assured a consistent role with the Kings, an injury derailed his trajectory and he was forced to work his way back up after the Kings were unwilling to re-sign him.
The turning point of Brodzinski’s career was when he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Rangers in 2020.
The scrappy forward took his role with the Hartford Wolf pack seriously and continued to work hard.
Despite spending most of his time with the Wolf Pack from 2020-22, Brodzinski didn’t get discouraged and persevered, earning himself a two-year contract extension with the Rangers.
Through the past two seasons, Brodzinski has been a consistent link with the Rangers and now finds himself in the lineup practically every night.
“When I first signed in New York, I was fully anticipating being an American League guy,” Brodzinski said. “Just being a leader for the younger guys, just being a good captain. I just found my way back to the NHL by doing that. Was never expecting to get back to this point, but hard work and perseverance pays off.”
Sportsmanship: Brodzinski has not only impressed the Rangers with his play, but a large part of why he’s in this position today is because of his attitude and the way he conducts himself.
The veteran forward earned the captaincy title of the Wolf Pack and that’s no coincidence.
He uses his past experiences to teach some of the younger players valuable lessons and provide mentorship when it is needed.
Everyday, Brodzinski is in high spirits, always showing up with a positive attitude on the ice and in the locker room while uplifting his teammates.
“It’s all consistency, bringing a positive attitude every single day,” Brodzinski said. “Guys could get extremely down. We play hockey for a living. I think we kind of look over that’s probably the biggest thing, guys come into the rink every single day… I think that’s the biggest thing, we are lucky to be in this situation. Very, very few people get to do it, might as well enjoy it while we are here.”
Dedication To Hockey: Over the course of his entire life, Brodzinski has been dedicated to the game of hockey.
In Minnesota where Brodzinski grew up, his father opened a hockey store called Hockey Zone. When he wasn’t on the ice, Brodzinski was working at his dad’s store, only increased his love for the sport.
“It was like hockey 24/7,” Brodzinski said of his childhood. “He opened up a hockey store. At the time it was called Hockey Zone, then he merged with Hockey Central and then they got bought out by Pure Hockey. I grew up working at his store for 6-7 years. Sharpened skates, did everything. It was like hockey 24/7 with our whole family. Hockey all the time, every day, all day.”
Brodzinski and his three brothers all played hockey growing up, which helped build their relationship with each other.
By the way Brodzinski talks about hockey, you could tell how much passion he has for it and how knowledgeable he is about both the history and logistics of the game.
While the 31-year-old has been through a lot trying to keep his NHL dream alive, it’s his love of hockey and dedication to the sport that’s continued to motivate him all this time.