Dubnyk, Hammond, Letang named finalists for Masterton Trophy

Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk, Ottawa Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang have been named finalists for the Masterton Trophy.

The trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.

Dubnyk, 28, turned his career around, posting a 36-14-4 record for a Wild team that was in desperate need of goaltending help.

The netminder, who many had given up on after underachieving with the Edmonton Oilers, came to Minnesota in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes.

Hammond, a 27-year-old goaltender who had only played in one career NHL game before 2014-15, helped the Senators in a miraculous run to the playoffs, posting a record of 20-1-2 along the way.

Letang, 28, had the best season of his career as part of the Penguins defense corps before sustaining a concussion late in the season.

The defenseman earned 54 points in 69 games and showed he was fully recovered from a stroke he suffered in 2014 that was caused by a hole in his heart.

The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Masterton, a Minnesota North Stars player who died on Jan. 15, 1968, after sustaining an injury during a hockey game.