Writers and fans openly mock one of the nominees for an NHL award.

It's rare you will see so many people so openly mock a nominee for one of the National Hockey League's most prestigious awards, but that's exactly what's going on Monday.

As most fans will know, every year the Pro Hockey Writers Association nominates one player from each city as a nominee to potentially win the NHL's Masterton Trophy. The Masterton Trophy is awarded each year to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." Much like the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy this is usually reserved for players who would fall under the category of "role model" for obvious reasons.

That's where this year's nominee from Buffalo comes in, the Buffalo chapter has nominated none other than Ryan O'Reilly, one of the Sabres' top forwards, and a man who currently has a court case pending as a result of allegedly driving his vehicle into a building while under the influence. Not exactly the actions of what most would consider a role model.

Yahoo's Greg Wyshynski had this to say:

Once more, with feeling: The Buffalo chapter nominated a 24-year-old athlete whose impaired driving trial will take place roughly two weeks after the NHL Awards this summer for an award that usually reserved for players who overcome catastrophic injury, life-threatening illness or, perhaps most admirably, journeyman goalies.

Wyshnski is far from the only one who has been critical of this decision, sports writer Dave Lozo of Vice Canada absolutely lambasted the nomination.

"A man who drove drunk, crashed into a Tim Hortons and fled the scene before the year is a Masterton nominee. Maybe 30 nominees is too many," said Lozo before adding "I guess fleeing the scene shows perseverance. I take it back. He's your winner."

And as you can see from the tweet below, the writers in Buffalo are none too happy about being challenged on their nomination.

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