Expect one of the more heartfelt ovations at the NHL Awards to greet Rich Peverley of the Dallas Stars, who will present the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in Las Vegas next week.

It’s an award dedicated to the “player who best exemplifies the characteristics of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” Something that Peverley personifies as he attempts to continue his NHL career.

“I like the award and what it stands for, and I think that knowing the stories of the nominees and presenting the trophy to the winner, that could be motivation for me to come back, if coming back is possible,” he told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.

Peverley collapsed on the bench in a Dallas home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 10, and was revived by medical personnel before being rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat before the season, and had corrective surgery on March 19 from which he’s still recovering.

Doctors at the time of the incident were unsure if Peverley could return to the ice. Will he ever play in the NHL again?

“It’s a process, and there are a lot of steps,” he told Heika. “I’m trying to take the steps one at a time and just see what happens. If I can play, that will be great. If I can’t, then I’ll deal with that at that time.”

Peverley, who is signed through the 2014-14 season, plans to continue working out through the summer and then return to Dallas for testing with the Stars. “There’s no timeline for me, just try to do as much as I can and move forward if I can. That’s all I can really do,” he said.