Keller Nominated For Masterton Trophy

Clayton Keller is the 2026 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee for the Utah Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PWHA). The award is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport of ice hockey.

After a huge personal loss early in the season, Keller has battled and persevered through waves of grief and sadness. Yet, despite all of that, he is still one of the Utah Mammoth’s top scorers. His play throughout the season has demonstrated his incredible talent, despite the pain of loss, which makes him a strong candidate for the Masterton Trophy.

Keller Plays Through Tragedy

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of celebrating with family. When you think of the holiday, it usually involves family eating with each other and enjoying good company.

However, this past Thanksgiving was one of loss for the Keller family. It was announced that Bryan Keller, Clayton’s dad, had passed away unexpectedly that day. Just like most players’ fathers, Bryan was a big part of his son’s life and was close with some of the players in the locker room. Bryan never shied away from how proud he was of his son.

The Mammoth were in Dallas to play the Dallas Stars on that day. No one would blame Keller if he needed to sit out that game or even take some extended time off. Yet, the captain of the Mammoth told the team he wanted to play. He played his usual amount of ice time and registered five shots. The Stars would end up naming him the first star of the game as a way to pay respect to the forward and his family.

The story got even more emotional when the Mammoth traveled to St. Louis the next day. St. Louis is Keller’s hometown. A place where he built so many memories with his dad around the rink and at home. Before the game, the St. Louis Blues paid tribute to Bryan. A classy tribute honoring the man who had taken his son to so many games inside that same arena. Yet, despite the emotions, Keller chose to play against the Blues.

“It was definitely a tough couple of days, but I couldn’t have done it without my family, my teammates,” Keller said. “They had my back always. I care for them more than anything.”