Danny DeKeyser rebounds from being waived to be nominated for NHL Award

The veteran Red Wings defenseman is their nominee for the 2021 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

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Published 2 years ago
Danny DeKeyser rebounds from being waived to be nominated for NHL Award
Last Word on Sports

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser had something to prove after being re-inserted into the lineup following the decision by management to place him on waivers.

DeKeyser, who was also scratched by head coach Jeff Blashill for a whopping nine straight games from February 3 through the 19th, would rebound to appear in 47 games for the Red Wings during the 2020-21 NHL Season, finishing with four goals scored and eight assists. He would also be tied for the team lead in plus/minus with a plus-3 rating.

And thanks to his efforts, DeKeyser is officially the Red Wings nominee for the 2021 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of “perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication” to the sport of hockey.

Should he ultimately win, he'd be the first Red Wings player since captain Steve Yzerman earned the honor in 2003 following his return from reconstructive knee surgery. Brad Park also won the award in 1984 during his time with Detroit. 

The nomination was made by the Detroit chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The winner will be announced in July at the annual NHL Awards.

For the veteran defenseman who was limited to a mere eight games played last season with a debilitating back injury that required surgery in December of 2019, that's a pretty nice story. 

“It’s not an easy surgery to go through,” DeKeyser said. “The down time after that is extended. It’s tough to even get around the house after a surgery like that.”

“Coming out of training camp I was definitely struggling a bit,” DeKeyser said. “They sat me down and told me to work on some stuff and try to get back healthy again, it had been so long since I played."

“Second half of the season I definitely felt a lot better, thought I was moving better and felt stronger out there. One of my goals coming into the year was, first of all, to play, and to just get better as the weeks and months went on, and I think that’s what I did.”

For DeKeyser, who has one year remaining on his contract, his strong finish to the 2020-21 season will play a role in his offseason training. 

“That (finish) was pretty positive going into a full offseason where I can be healthy and train,” DeKeyser said. “Last year I was still on rehab and I couldn’t get to the point where I wanted to be to play at this level. That’ll be important for me this summer.”


Source: MLive