Sometimes, a sports story can warm your heart, like when Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan got a surprise visit from Meredith Gaudreau May 5.

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,

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.”