On Thursday, Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan was named the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, an honor awarded every year to the NHL player who best “exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”

Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan was brought to tears accepting the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the wife of his late friend and teammate, Johnny Gaudreau.

Sean Monahan’s only goal this season, he said in September, was to play in a way that honored the memory of his best friend, Johnny Gaudreau. Monahan and the Columbus Blue Jackets did exactly that despite immeasurable grief,