On Thursday morning, Matt Cullen was chosen as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.”
Cullen has two of those criteria down pat. As a 42-year-old in the midst of his 21st NHL season, it would be hard to find a player who has persevered longer than Cullen or is more dedicated to the sport.
“The biggest thing is I love to play the game,” Cullen said. “Everybody takes care of their nutrition and trains, and I’ve done that throughout my career, but I really enjoy the competition. I love the battle. I love this time of the year. It’s worth working out and training and battling to get down to this point of the season where games really mean a lot and every play is important. To me, that’s the biggest thing.”
That sportsmanship criteria, though. Yeah, the Pittsburgh chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association might want to give that one a little more scrutiny.
If the NHL kept a stat for most times thrown out of a faceoff circle in a season, Cullen might be close to setting an all-time record. When it comes to faceoffs, this guy cheats more than a hedge fund manager filling out his 1040 form.
“And I did get a fine this year too, actually, so I feel probably not worthy of it,” Cullen said with a straight face, recalling the $1,000 bill he got from the league’s department of player safety for a “dangerous trip” on Tampa Bay’s J.T. Miller in a November game.
Cullen is unrepentant for his actions.
Not about the tripping. He’s probably sorry about that one.
About the faceoffs.
“I was taught, always, that if you don’t get kicked out once or twice, you’re not pushing the limits enough,” Cullen said. “Honestly, that’s what I was taught. I’ve always taken that approach. Obviously, I’ve been thrown out a little more than I’d like to this year, but I think you’ve always got to be pushing the limits, within reason, to try to find that edge.”
If it’s any consolation to Cullen, the younger generation is watching him in the circle and taking notes.
“I could definitely take a few lessons from him,” 24-year-old center Teddy Blueger said. “The guy who cheats better probably wins most of them, right? If you can get away with it, you have a better chance of winning.
“He’s good so many different ways, winning it clean or tying it up and winning it with his skates. The way he takes draws, there’s a lot to take away there.”
Jokes about a lack of sportsmanship aside, Blueger’s opinion of Cullen is indicative of how his teammates feel about the Minnesota native.
On the ice, they admire his two-way game, attention to detail and poise with the puck. Off the ice, they view him as a leader and role model, the type of player who captures the true spirit of the Masterton Award.
The admiration they showed for him when he celebrated his 1,500th career game earlier this month was authentic.
“He’s an unbelievable guy,” 24-year-old Dominik Simon said. “It’s great to be around him. We’re lucky to be in the locker room with him. He always helps. He’s an unbelievable teammate.”
Cullen said he hasn’t decided whether this will be his last NHL season or not. If it is, it’s hard to imagine the league will be better off without him.
“It’s amazing what he’s doing at his age,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “He’s a great leader and a great teammate.”
