Cooper Krigbaum
The Vegas Golden Knights have nominated goaltender Akira Schmid as their candidate for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
All NHL teams nominate one player for the award, which is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
“Akira Schmid’s perseverance and dedication to hockey paid off with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2025-26, playing his first full season in the NHL, and starting a game for Switzerland in the Olympics,” the PHWA said. “Schmid spent the majority of the last four years improving his game in the minors, and broke through for a career-high in starts and wins in the NHL. In a season of inconsistency and injuries in the Vegas crease, Schmid has been a constant for the Golden Knights and is a big reason they’re still in a playoff position.
He is the consummate teammate and plays whatever role is asked of him, which often includes skating late with shooters after practice, or entering a game cold and playing lights out to steady the ship. His modest, intrinsically motivated mindset is perfect for the often underappreciated but important role he has played for the team.”
This season, the 25-year-old goalie has started 34 games and posted a 16-10-6 record, along with a .893 save percentage and a 2.59 goals-against average.
Since the return of Carter Hart, Schmid appears to be the third goalie on the roster going forward behind Adin Hill, without a clear path to a starting role unless an injury pops up.
The Golden Knights play the Seattle Kraken on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. looking to win their fifth straight under head coach John Tortorella.
