Honorable Mention — Andrew Cogliano
We all know who the real Iron Man is, Andrew Cogliano. We saw him reach an incredible feat during his time with the Anaheim Ducks, and although his Iron Man streak was ended at 830 consecutive games played, his two-game suspension is not recognized by Ducks Nation.
However, because of Cogliano’s relocation to the Dallas Stars in January, the title of Iron Man went with him. His streak “officially” ended, at least in the eyes of Ducks Nation, in February when an upper-body injury kept him off the ice for four games. Nevertheless, despite his streak ending prematurely, those of us who have seen his dedication on and off the ice first hand, we know that Andrew Cogliano is and always will be Iron Man.
Iron Man — Ryan Kesler
Ryan Kesler has earned the title of warrior this season after his heroic’s on and off the ice. Much like Iron Man, Kesler is known as being snarky and can easily get under the skin of his opponents. However, when it comes to his teammates he is one of the first players to encourage, cheer for, and lead the “troops.”
We saw a different side of Kes this season when he opened up about his hip injury and everything it took for him to get back out on the ice after his surgery. Another quality that similar to that of Tony Stark, RK17 is the perfect representation of perseverance in the midst of difficult circumstances.
He refuses to give up and keeps fighting, even when things seem hopeless. He shows incredible bravery and most importantly, he isn’t afraid to be his own person. Not only is he kind, compassionate, and generous, but he isn’t afraid to be sarcastic, snarky, and cynical when it is appropriate.
Nevertheless, one of the most impressive traits that Kesler shares with Iron Man is his ability to adapt. No one thought he would be back this season, especially after rumors ran rampant around the NHL that he would spend the season on the sidelines. Still, he figured out a way to work with his injury and he forged his own path to 1,000 NHL games despite the fact that basically everyone around him told him it was impossible.