Former Flame Sean Monahan surprised with Masterton Trophy win by Meredith Gaudreau
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It was Gaudreau's widow, Meredith, who surprised Monahan with the trophy at his home near Toronto. In a video posted to nhl.com, she talked about how Monahan supported her at every tribute for her late husband and now it was her turn to honour him.
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In the video, Meredith Gaudreau said it was an honour to surprise Monahan with the trophy.
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'This is so important to me because Sean is so important to John,' she said.
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'You don't think about John's name without thinking of Sean and you don't hear Sean's name without thinking of John and they are best friends. They are brothers. When I was asked to be part of this surprise, I was so excited. Sean stood by my side for every tribute every walk out and, you know, I dragged him out there to cry with me on national television. I am excited to celebrate this one because this one celebrates Sean.'
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In an interview in November, Monahan talked about how the grief of losing his teammate and friend was affecting him.
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'You lose your best friend, your teammate, it's tough to comprehend,' Monahan told Postmedia at the time. 'Ninety per cent of the time, it doesn't feel real. When something happens in my life, I'd usually give John a FaceTime and he'd answer. I go through those situations a lot where you want to pick up the phone and give him a call or text or send him a picture or something, and then you realize. That's when it hurts.'
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Monahan took to the ice this season with the Columbus Blue Jackets without Gaudreau and suffered a wrist injury in January. Despite that, he was tied for third place in Columbus' scoring with 57 points (19 goals, 38 assists). The Blue Jackets finished two points out of the second Eastern Conference wild card spot this season.
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Monahan, who signed with Columbus on July 1, 2024, to reunite with Gaudreau after the pair played together for eight seasons in Calgary, has served as an inspiration amid the tragedy of Gaudreau's death. He finished with the fifth-most points by a Blue Jackets player in his first season with the club — a list Gaudreau sits second on (74 in 2022-23). His 1.06 points per game was the highest by any first-year Columbus player.
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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded to players who have demonstrated perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport.
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