What Utah’s new NHL goalie said about being nominated for a prestigious award
Utah’s new NHL team has yet to play a game, but one of its top players may earn an impressive honor.
Goalie Connor Ingram was named a finalist for the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Thursday, given annually to the league’s player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
Ingram’s fellow finalists for the award are Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington and Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen.
“It’s exciting. This is the first time in my career I’ve ever had a chance to win something,” Ingram told reporters via Zoom. “It’s super exciting and a pretty big honor.”
Originally joining the Arizona Coyotes in October 2022, Ingram enjoyed a breakout campaign this past year to emerge as one of the league’s best goaltenders. The 27-year-old posted a .907 save percentage, 2.91 goals-against average, and tied for the NHL lead with six shutouts.
Off the ice, Ingram nearly retired from the sport in 2021 due to personal struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. He received help through the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program before returning to action, since becoming an advocate for mental health awareness and therapy.
“It was a whirlwind when it happened,” Ingram said of his time in the program. “I’m not the only guy that deals with things like this, and I think that’s what we need to realize now, almost everybody is going to go through something like this during their life, so why can’t we talk about it?”
Ingram and his Coyotes teammates were relocated from Arizona to Salt Lake City in April following Ryan Smith’s purchase of the franchise. The currently nameless team will begin its inaugural season in Utah in October, with Ingram, Clayton Keller, Josh Doan and other notable players looking to establish a rich NHL tradition in the state.
