Award season is very rapidly approaching, and the first award to have its nominees announced is the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Each year, every team has one player nominated who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the spot.
The Edmonton branch of the PWHA has voted to nominate goaltender Calvin Pickard for the award for the 2024–25 season!
Calvin Pickard for Bill Mastertom
Pickard, who turns 33 next week, has been the backup goalie for the Oilers for most of the last two seasons, including a stretch over the past month where he has been elevated to starter in the absence of Stuart Skinner.
Over these two seasons, Pickard has been outstanding in his role. He comes in when called on and gives the Oilers a chance to win nearly every game he plays. As shown by his 32–16–2 record in the Oilers’ crease.
Pickard has the appreciation and support of his teammates and has been an excellent addition to the locker room. The team bands together and rallies when he is in the net. Perhaps the best example of this is in the 2024 playoffs when he was called on to start his first playoff game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers battled out a win in his first ever playoff game, and Pickard played excellent in that outing.
Over the duration of his career, Pickard has always been a battler. Some early promises with the Colorado Avalanche led to a career high 50 games in the 2016–17 season. But after that, he had turned into a bit of a journeyman goaltender, spending time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, and Detroit Red Wings before landing in the Oilers organization.
Most of his time after the Colorado seasons was spent getting minimal playing time or in the AHL, even featuring a stint with the Vienna Capitals of the ICEHL.
But with the Oilers organization, his career has been revitalized. He has played more NHL games over the past two seasons than he did in the previous six combined. A true show of his determination and dedication to the sport.
It is wonderful to see Pickard receive recognition and appreciation for how well he has integrated with the team and how important he has become over the past two seasons!
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