NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goaltender Ray Emery of the Anaheim Ducks, forwards Daymond Langkow of the Calgary Flames and Ian Laperriere of the Philadelphia Flyers are the finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, the National Hockey League (NHL) said on Tuesday.
The winner of the award, given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be announced June 22 at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.
Emery, who battled back from bone-graft surgery after a career-threatening injury, played a major role in the Ducks' successful push for a playoff spot, going 7-2-0 with a 2.28 goals-against average after signing with Anaheim as a free agent in February.
Langkow, whose career appeared over when he suffered a fractured vertebra late last season after he was hit on the spine by a puck, returned to Calgary's lineup in April after more than a year on the sidelines and two failed comeback attempts to record an assist.
Concussion-related symptoms kept Laperriere out of the lineup for the entire 2010-11 season but he has still served the Flyers in several capacities, particularly as a mentor for young players in the organization.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Julian Linden)
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