Prosser's good deeds earns Wild's Masterton Trophy nominee nod

Dakota Case, a Wild diehard who was born with a rare congenital heart defect, went into severe cardiac failure and pulmonary edema last May. He'd spend the next 11 weeks in Nebraska Medicine's Cardiac ICU, the first 40 days of which were on a heart and lung bypass machine.

He doesn't remember June or half of July, including his 25th birthday. He spent seven weeks in rehab, where he had to relearn to walk and what it means to live with a left ventricular assist device.

Chuck Case, Dakota's father, texted Wild defenseman Nate Prosser during that time with updates. Prosser mailed a care package of Wild goodies, autographs and a note encouraging Dakota, including an invitation to tickets to a Wild game when he was up to it.

Dakota Case, who is from Sioux Falls, S.D., and is an aspiring broadcaster, became a fan of Prosser's when he played for the Sioux Falls Stampede. After signing with the Wild in 2010, Prosser met Case during a team road tour to Sioux Falls and the two have stayed in touch since.

Case awaits a heart transplant. Last month, he fought with his doctors to take Prosser up on his offer.

Without the Wild knowing, Prosser hosted Dakota and his parents for a game against Washington. He left them prime tickets, paid for their hotel room and left them passes for a locker-room tour.

"Dad and I literally had the biggest grins our faces have ever produced," Dakota Case said.

What came next warmed Case's heart. Case was driving to Nebraska from St. Paul for another long hospital stay. Prosser is a man of deep faith.

"Nate made my family and I feel so warm and welcomed and, more importantly, loved, as he gathered us into a huddle in the hallway and prayed for us, asking for God's blessing and guidance and thanking him for the friendship we've developed," Case said.

This is one reason why the Twin Cities' chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) has nominated Prosser for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which goes to an NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey. Devan Dubnyk won the award last year, Josh Harding in 2013.

The road Prosser took to get to the NHL — and stay there — is commendable. Behind only captain Mikko Koivu, he's the second-most tenured player on the Wild. An undrafted free agent out of Colorado College, Prosser has been an in-and-out player for seven seasons, yet shows up daily, work rigorously and is beloved in the locker room.

He's a team-first guy and does anything the team asks of him away from the rink. His charitable interests include Defending The Blue Line, Children's Hospitals and Clinics and Wishes & More.

Prosser didn't play against Chicago on Tuesday. It was his fifth straight healthy scratch.

"If you're going to be that sixth/seven defenseman, you've got to be able to take healthy scratches and take them with a smile on your face," Prosser said. "I'll always be a good guy and a good locker-room guy."

With winger David Jones sick, Jason Zucker returned to the lineup after being scratched in two straight games.