Toronto, ON (My Sportsbook) - Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Jason Blake won the 2008 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The award, under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. In October, Blake was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a rare but treatable form of cancer. However, he completed the season as one of only three Toronto players to appear in all 82 games. He finished the season with 15 goals and 37 assists and in the month of January he donated $1,000 per goal and $500 per assist to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. The 2007-08 campaign was Blake's first with the Maple Leafs. Last year, Boston's Phil Kessel won the award after he returned from testicular cancer. |
