Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan was brought to tears accepting the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the wife of his late friend and teammate, Johnny Gaudreau.

In an emotional video posted by the NHL on Thursday, Monahan was surprised with the trophy — awarded to “the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey” — by Meredith Gaudreau, whose husband was tragically killed last August on the eve of his sister’s wedding.

“When I was asked to be part of this surprise, I was so honored, so excited,” Meredith said in the video. “Sean stood by my side for every tribute, every walkout and I dragged him out there to cry with me on national television so many times but I’m excited about this one because this one celebrates Sean.”

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