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Wilson, who paid it forward to Flyers' prospects, becomes a Masterton nominee
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- Wilson, who paid it forward to Flyers' prospects, becomes a Masterton nominee
Wilson, who paid it forward to Flyers' prospects, becomes a Masterton nominee originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Garrett Wilson didn't give up on the NHL as he went nearly seven straight years playing in the minors.
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And he certainly didn't give up on his teammates, most of them prospects and vying for the next level.
Wilson looked after them.
"I just wanted to take care of the younger guys," he said three and a half weeks ago, "because I got taken care of when I was younger."
The 35-year-old winger was rewarded last month with an NHL contract and his first game since the 2018-19 season. His blend of selflessness and stick-to-itiveness has made him the Flyers' nominee for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The nomination was voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association's Philadelphia chapter. The Masterton Trophy is an NHL award given annually to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey."
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"I am very proud to see Garrett recognized as a nominee for the NHL Masterton Trophy," general manager Danny Briere said in a statement released by the team Wednesday. "Garrett's commitment to the Flyers organization and journey in hockey is a true testament to his dedication and pure love of the game. He helped establish a level of professionalism and has made a profound impact with the young players in our system for the last six years. His return to the NHL this season speaks volumes about his character and he has earned everything that's come his way."
Wilson has been a part of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley's leadership group over the last six seasons. The Flyers have seen a lot of their key young pieces come through the Phantoms. Wilson has been teammates with guys like Tyson Foerster , Cam York , Emil Andrae , Alex Bump, Denver Barkey and Nikita Grebenkin, among others.
"I knew my role, I've been there six years," Wilson said. "The rebuild and the new prospects coming in, I really wanted to make sure to take care of them. Because when I was a young guy, I had lot of good leaders taking care of me. So kind of pass down that to them. Just teach the guys how to be pro every day, how to act around the rink, how to take care of the trainers and the staff. I just try to lead by example."
Wilson has done so as a tough, hard-nosed player who stands up for his teammates. He's now with the Flyers for their playoff push and has appeared in two games. Prior to this season, Wilson's last NHL game was April 16, 2019, in the playoffs with the Penguins.
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As time went on in the minors, he wasn't sure if he'd ever play in the NHL again.
"There was definitely a bit of doubts," Wilson said last Thursday. "Once you sign the AHL deal, you're kind of restricted to just playing in the AHL. I got the chance to come to training camp, had [professional tryout offers] and that. I just tried to stay positive, go down there, I liked the role I had down there of taking care of the younger guys and showing them the pro game. A lot of the guys, they've graduated to here."
And now Wilson has had the chance to be their teammate again.
Oskar Lindblom won the Masterton Trophy in 2020-21 , becoming the fourth Flyer to ever take home the award. He joined Bob Clarke (1971-72), Tim Kerr (1988-89) and Ian Laperriere (2010-11) as the Flyers' recipients. Kevin Hayes was a finalist in 2021-22 and Ivan Fedotov was the Flyers' nominee last season .
Following a vote by the PHWA, the winner of the honor will be announced among the NHL awards.
