An appreciative and honored Viktor Arvidsson named LA Kings nominee for Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

LA Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson has been selected as the Kings nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The Masterton has been awarded annually “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

Arvidsson was selected by the Los Angeles chapter of the PHWA, the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

“It’s a great honor,” Arvidsson said. “I thank everybody that’s considered me for the award and everything and I appreciate it.”

Look, you couldn’t really pick a better nominee than Arvidsson this season, in my opinion.

The man has been through the ringer and back and he’s just finally getting up to speed as the calendar flips into April. Arvidsson’s journey really dates back to 2022, when he missed the entire 2022 postseason with back surgery that kept him out into training camp the following season. He played last season close to fully healthy, including the playoffs, but suffered another back injury during the 2023 preseason, which cost him the months of October, November, December and January following a second surgery.

“He’s been through a tough stretch and it hasn’t just been this year, you take it back a little bit,” Head Coach Jim Hiller said of Arvidsson. “We have a chance to see him rehabbing, down in the medical room on the ice, the frustration with the injuries, and he’s come back from itm just the way he plays. Determined, a ball of energy and just wanting to get back and help these guys out. All the credit in the world to him.”

He finally worked his way back into the lineup in February, with the Kings winning all four games he played, before an unrelated injury cost him another month of game action. He’s finally back now and he’s been healthy over the last eight games the team has played, looking more and more like himself as the games have gone on, despite missing what essentially amounted to 12 months out of a 24-month span.

The Masterton exemplifies the qualities of “perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” Can’t think of a player who embodies those exact characteristics more than Arvidsson.

“It’s been a battle, it’s been 12 months of rehab from different injuries and stuff like that,” Arvidsson said. “A lot of early mornings, going to work every day, just trying to be positive and and trying to kind of bring energy to the team and certain things. It’s a great honor [to be nominated] and I’m really happy that people thought about me.”

For a player who has been out of the lineup for as long as Arvidsson has, the return process coming back never happens alone.

Arvidsson had a laundry list of people to thank, extending both within and outside of the walls of the Kings locker room. He’s certainly put in the work himself, no question about it, but those around him have helped him so much as he’s returned to the lineup.

“The organization, the Kings have been having really good, the Meyer Institute has been has been helping me along the way and getting me ready and getting back to being me,” he added. “I want to thank my family, the Kings, the Meyer Institute, my teammates around me and the coaches, the staff. It’s been it’s been a long way and it’s getting better.”

Those around him have seen the work first-hand that Arvidsson has put in.

His teammates saw him remain around the group throughout a difficult process and he provided some energy and spark when he was there. The coaches saw it too. Jim Hiller has patiently waited for Arvidsson to come back into the fold for a few reasons. Number one being personal, seeing the work and determination that he’s put in to get to this point here. That work is what makes him so deserving of being recognized, representing the Kings as a nominee for an important award.

“You like to see it, because as an athlete, you want to be out there playing and being injured is so frustrating, especially when you’re as competitive as Arvy is,” Hiller said. “The way he’s approached it, the way he’s been positive and determined to get himself back, it’s probably an inspiration for anybody that’s been around that rink, because you can be down, but he hasn’t done that at all. He’s been so positive.”

Along with the positivity has come a player who has not only come back, but he’s come back the right way.

With Arvidsson in the lineup, the Kings have won nine of the 12 games he has played and Arvidsson has amassed eight points (2-6-8) in those games. Small sample size, certainly, but that’s not too far off from the pace he’s produced at throughout his time with the Kings organization.

When you’ve been out for 50 percent of a two-year span, it would be pretty understandable to see your level drop, or for there to be a long adjustment period. For Arvidsson, while it took a bit of time, he’s been productive and noticeable from the second he re-joined the Kings. In typical Arvidsson fashion, he’s leading the team in shots on goal per/60. No better indicator than that, to show that Arvy feels like Arvy.

“It’s something that you never know how a guy’s going to come back, but just knowing Arvy’s personality, you knew he was going to come back and play the same game,” Hiller added. “He’s just a player who just loves to win and loves to compete. So, I’m not surprised the way he’s come back at all he’s full on, one-hundred percent.”

Arvidsson is one of 32 honorees from the around the NHL, with each team having one player honored. That group of 32 will eventually be narrowed down to three finalists, with the winner to be announced as a part of the NHL Awards in June. Certainly haven’t taken a deep dive into every player up for the award, but certainly feels as if Arvidsson’s story would be on that could garner some consideration around the NHL. For today, just a nice moment for a player who deserves a little bit of recognition.

—

Kings are off today after the back-to-back set of games against Seattle and San Jose and will return to the ice tomorrow against Vancouver. The Canucks are the final team in a playoff position that the Kings will play this season and the two teams have had three competitive games to date, with the Kings winning two and earning five of a possible six points. Kings sit on a magic number of six and cannot clinch a playoff berth tomorrow. They can move a bit closer though, by taking care of business on home ice against a strong opponent.