Dominik Shine was named the Detroit Red Wings’ nominee for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Detroit Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association, according to an April 11 announcement.
The nomination recognizes Shine’s perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award is given annually to a player who best exemplifies these qualities, with each National Hockey League club nominating one skater and a winner selected by all 32 PHWA chapters at season’s end.
“It means a lot,” Shine said. “I think it’s just more people recognizing the hard work that I’ve put in throughout my career. There’s so many players who put in a lot of time, so to get a little recognition feels good.” Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Dan Watson also commented on Shine’s leadership: “Being nominated for the Masterton Trophy, that just shows Shiner’s character, determination and no-quit attitude that he brings to the rink every single day. His leadership has grown from a fourth-line player all the way to an impactful top-line player…It just speaks volumes of how hard he works and how committed he is to this organization, the community and his teammates. He’s an unbelievable leader in Grand Rapids. He teaches young guys how to do things right, but he also approaches the game in a winning mentality.”
Shine made his National Hockey League debut with Detroit during the 2024-25 season at age 32 and scored his first NHL goal against New Jersey on March 8. As of Friday, he had three goals in seventeen games this season for Detroit. Carter Mazur said about him: “Just an unbelievable human being. To see his perseverance, I remember talking to him a few years ago when he was thinking about switching careers. And to look back on that and see where he is now is kind of crazy.”
Shine played four seasons at Northern Michigan University before signing as an undrafted free agent with Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate in March 2017. Since then, he has accumulated over two hundred points with Grand Rapids and was named captain earlier this season.
The Red Wings are based in downtown Detroit where they host their home games according to their official website. The team represents Detroit, Michigan according to their official website and operates as one of the Original Six teams in league history according to their official website. They have won eleven Stanley Cup championships according to their official website, making them one of most successful American franchises according to their official website.
Reflecting on his journey through professional hockey—including nearly leaving for another career during COVID—Shine said: “There’s so many players…who are in the American League and maybe don’t think they’re going to get their chance…It’s just about keeping your head down and going to work.”
