The 33-year-old suffered a fractured skull and severed temporal artery after taking a 90 MPH slapshot to the face on Dec. 23.

ARLINGTON, V.A. -- After a challenging 2022-23 season, defenseman John Carlson is the Washington Capitals' nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy.

The Masteron goes to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverence, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.

For Carlson, this season proved just that. The 33-year-old was off to a strong start with 21 points in 30 games, when, toward the end of a Dec. 23 game against the Winnipeg Jets, he took a 90 MPH slapshot to the face, which fractured his skull and severed his temporal artery.

"You don't know what's happening at the time," Carlson told THN. "Honestly for me, I was just thinking that it was a pretty big cut and getting stitched up. It's not like they were telling me, 'Oh man, this is a bad artery here.'"

His teammates had never seen that much blood and helped him off the ice. After doctors stopped the bleeding, Carlson was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. He was discharged on Christmas Eve and would spend the next three months recovering, while also being motivated that he would be able to play again.

"By the time I got to the hospital, within an hour, we knew, 'Okay, there's nothing bad, nothing crazy here,'" Carlson recalled. "There's nothing that's gonna really be out of this world and kind of in that territory of worried about playing this year, nevermind worrying about playing next year and so on... I was 99 percent sure that it is what it was and that's all it was. That's what it turned out to be."

Carlson worked his way back slowly, resting and waiting before being cleared to skate on his own. Skating coach Wendy Marco worked with No. 74 to get him back into the rhythms, and eventually, he rejoined the team.

"My ears and eyes are always open and I'm trying to get better no matter what I'm doing, whether it's by myself or getting instruction and practice. I believe in all her stuff... I think you take it like that to try and get better and try to work on things. You're gonna come out of it in a better spot."

Carlson made his return to the lineup on March 23. He has been putting up points and playing an integral role on and off the ice since coming back.