“Perseverance is a quality I’ve always respected, it’s been part of my life and my career for as long as I can remember, and that’s the primary reason I have so much respect for this award and am so honored to receive it,” Rangers center Dominic Moore told The Post by phone after being named the 2013-14 Masterton winner at the NHL Awards Gala on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
“Of course, I had the greatest example of perseverance to learn from and admire in my wife, Katie. Her perseverance through her illness was remarkable,” Moore said. “I can tell you that going through an illness like that is kind of hell on earth, and to for me to see the way she dealt with it was a lesson and an inspiration not only for me, but for everyone who knew her.”
Katie Moore died at the age of 32 in January 2013 following a 10-month fight against a rare form of liver cancer. Dominic had taken a leave of absence from the NHL in the spring of 2012 to care for his wife, and returned to the league last year with the Rangers, with whom he began his career in 2005-06.
He became the engine of the club’s important fourth line and emerged as a go-to penalty-killer and defensive-zone faceoff man after struggling early in the season to find the game he had left behind.
“It’s not that I was doubting myself, because I have always made it my mission throughout my career to improve every day, but you don’t know whether your coach is going to give you the time you need,” said the Blueshirts’ leading faceoff man across both the regular season and the playoffs. “One of things I’m so grateful for is the support of the coaching staff, my teammates and the entire organization. They were patient and stood behind me.
“I look at this as a shared award. I’m grateful for the support and encouragement I received from my friends, family and from the guys. It was everything I could have hoped for.”
The Devils’ Jaromir Jagr and Carolina’s Manny Malhotra were runners-up for the award, which was won for the fifth time by a Ranger. Jean Ratelle (1971), Rod Gilbert (1976), Anders Hedberg (1985) and Adam Graves (2001) are the previous Blueshirt recipients.
Moore, who will turn 34 in early August and who worked on a one-year contract worth $1 million last season, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. With fourth-line winger (and second-best faceoff man) Brian Boyle likely to flee next week, it is imperative the Blueshirts pony up in order to retain Moore, probably for no less than $1.7 million to $2 million per on a two-year deal.
“I’ve told them that I want to stay and I want to keep it simple,” Moore said. “My agent [Larry Kelly] has been in touch with them, but as of now there hasn’t been any negotiating.
“This is where I want to be, but if nothing is done by next week, I have to do the right thing and see what else might be there.”
With Moore, what you see is what you get: an honest player going about his business every day, the personification of the qualities for which he won the Masterton.
“Even before I took the year, I don’t think I ever took anything for granted,” Moore said. “Being back, competing, being part of a team, I definitely enjoyed the battle.
“I’ve never had an easy road,” said Moore, who has played for nine different NHL teams over his eight-year career. “But I’ve never looked for that, either.
“I enjoy obstacles and the challenge of overcoming them.”
Sidney Crosby won the Hart Trophy, Duncan Keith took the Norris, Ryan O’Reilly won the Lady Byng, Tuukka Rask captured the Vezina and Nathan MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy. Patrick Roy was named winner of the Jack Adams as coach-of-the-year.