Dominic Moore, Jaromir Jagr and Manny Malhotra are the finalists for the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Jaromir Jagr of the New Jersey Devils, Manny Malhotra of the Carolina Hurricanes and Dominic Moore of the New York Rangers are the finalists for the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The league awards the trophy annually to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
Jagr, a Hart Trophy winner back in 1999, had another strong season with New Jersey at the age of 42.
The Devils named the right-winger as the team MVP in 2013-14 after he led the club in assists (43), points (67), plus-minus (plus-16), game-winning goals (six) and shots (231).
Malhotra, 33, was the Vancouver Canucks' Masterton nominee in 2011-12 after returning from a serious eye injury.
Refusing to believe his NHL career was over last fall, Malhotra signed a professional tryout agreement with the Charlotte Checkers, Carolina's American Hockey League affiliate, on Oct. 3 and signed as a free agent with the Hurricanes four weeks later.
He appeared in 69 regular-season games, assumed a leadership role as an alternate captain and ranked second among all NHL players in face-off percentage (59.4 per cent).
Moore, 33, returned to the NHL this season after taking a leave of absence in the spring of 2012 in order to care for his wife, Katie, after she had been diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer.
Katie passed away at the age of 32 in January of 2013. Moore established a charity in her name, and resumed his career as an integral part of a Rangers team that earned 96 points and a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division.
A $2,500 grant from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.