The NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”

After suffering a stroke last year, Kris Letang has returned to this season with a vengeance, piling up a career-high 54 points.

The resurgent play has earned Letang a nomination for the Masterton Trophy from the Pittsburgh branch of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Letang was nominated last year as well, but did not receive the award.

After coming back and proving that he could not only return to his previous form but in fact improve his play, however, it will be tough to look past the smooth-skating defenseman in terms of his perseverance.

Should Letang receive the award, he would be the third Penguin in history to do so.

Legendary former captain Mario Lemieux won the Masterton in 1993 for his perseverance in playing at an elite level despite missing time to receive treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Lowell MacDonald, the first Penguin to receive the award, did so back in 1973 following his return from a serious knee injury.

The NHL Awards could become a busy time for Letang, as the talented blue-liner has a real shot at netting his first James Norris Memorial Trophy as well. Right from the beginning of the season, Letang has shown himself to be reliable defensively and lethal offensively, taking that next step that might end up pushing him up into the spotlight as the league’s best defenseman.