Matt Stajan has been a sentimental favourite in the Calgary Flames locker room for years and he hit an impressive milestone when he played his 1,000th National Hockey League game earlier this month.

He has a shot at another accolade, as the forward has been named a nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. He was selected by the Calgary chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. Chapter head Kristen Anderson (of Postmedia) made the declaration earlier today.

Stajan, 34, hasn’t had an amazing offensive season playing on the fourth line, but he’s really thrown himself into the energy player role. He’s played 66 of the Flames’ 77 games this season – he was a healthy scratch 11 times – but has continued his role as the team’s off-ice mentor for the team’s young players. He came to town in 2010 with a lot of fanfare and has had to adjust to changing expectations, a changing game and helped shepherd the team through its rebuilding process. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Masterton is voted on by the PHWA every season and is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. It’s been won twice by Flames players: in 1983 by Lanny McDonald and in 1996 by Gary Roberts.