The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded every year to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a vote of the "Professional Hockey Writers' Association" after each team selects one player on their team to be voted on. It is often awarded to a player who has come back from career- or even life-threatening illness or injury. A player can receive this trophy only once in his career.