The Utah Hockey Club and the Utah chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) announced this week that Mikhail Sergachev has been named Utah’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. This is Sergachev’s first-ever nomination for the award. Last season, Connor Ingram was the Arizona Coyotes’ nominee for the Masterton and became the first Coyote / UHC player to win the award.
Sergachev’s Road to Becoming Utah’s Top Defenseman Was a Challenging One
Last season, Sergachev was part of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s stacked blue line. Coming off three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances, including two wins, he was looking to repeat the impressive 64-point season he had in the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, Sergachev was injured in a freak accident against the New York Rangers in February, fracturing his left tibia and fibula, which required surgery and months of extreme rehabilitation.
Sergachev’s determination to be at his best helped him recover fast enough to return for Game 4 of the Lightning’s series against the Florida Panthers, where he assisted on the game-winning goal that helped the Lightning force Game 5.
Only a season into his new eight-year contract extension, he was traded to Utah during the 2024 NHL Draft, giving the UHC their number-one defenseman, which he had never been before. However, Sergachev thrived in his new role. In 74 games this season, he set a career-high with 15 goals and 51 points, the second-highest total of his career. He is also averaging the most ice time of his career at 25:06.
Related: Utah’s Alex Kerfoot Nominated for 2025 King Clancy Trophy
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has seen players from his championship teams come and go, for various reasons, but for Cooper, Sergachev was a perfect fit for the Lightning.
“We have so many guys that got the attention and won a lot of the awards, but I could sit here and say Sergy and put his name right in the hat,” Cooper said. “The way our defense was built, he was a perfect fit for us. We had him when he was young. He was thrust into positions that he probably wasn’t used to in pro hockey, and he really excelled at it. If you can do that at such a young age, he’s going to be a really good player.”
Steven Stamkos was also a cap casualty this season, leaving the place he called home for over a decade to join the Nashville Predators. Stamkos still talks to Sergachev, and he’s impressed and happy with his growth in Utah.
“It was really cool to see the progression of Sergy,” Stamkos said. “He was an absolute force for us in winning those years. It felt like it got to a point where he needed to go and be the guy, and be that number one defenseman, and flourish and take on those responsibilities. That’s what he’s getting an opportunity to do. I haven’t watched a ton of games, but the games that I have, I’ve been keeping up with him. It looks like he’s having a tremendous year, and I think he’ll just continue to get better. He’s a guy who takes a lot of pride in his game, and the leadership stuff is going to grow. I think he’s going to be a huge part of the future.”
Sergachev’s road from being knocked out of the 2023-24 season with a major injury to becoming the number one defenseman in Utah was a tough one, but one he was able to achieve thanks to his commitment to improving. As Stamkos said, Sergachev will only continue to get better. As he enters his prime and with the entire Utah blue line expected to be healthy for the start of the 2025-26 season, it should be a strong season for the team’s defense.
“We are thrilled for Mikhail to be nominated for the Masterton Trophy,” said UHC general manager Bill Armstrong. “Mikhail came back from a serious leg injury at the end of the 2024 season and had an incredible year for us, setting new career highs in goals and time on ice. We are proud of his tremendous leadership, perseverance, and resilience for the team and how he sets a great example for our younger players.”
Sergachev joins 31 other nominees (one from each NHL team) for the Bill Masterton Trophy. The PHWA will narrow down the list, and the winner will be announced at a later date.
