Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Letestu nominated for Masterton Trophy

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Letestu has been nominated as the clubs Masterton trophy nominee.

Letestu, 35, joined the Jets as a free agent last offseason but appeared in only seven games. That all due to the diagnosis of a heart condition in October called myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle.

Expected to miss the season, he was cleared to play in March and skated with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL on a conditioning stint, but that ended with sports shutting down.

“It’s an honour, for sure. I didn’t expect to be nominated for any NHL awards,” Letestu told reporters on a conference call. “Perseverance, dedication, those words are pretty special to me. The unfortunate part of the award is it seems like you have to go through something, a little negative experience.”

The Masterton trophy is awarded annually by the PHWA to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

No Jets players have ever won the Masterton award.

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