New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Goaltenders Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild and Andrew Hammond of the Ottawa Senators and defenseman Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been named the finalists for the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Dubnyk was acquired by Minnesota from Arizona in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, on Jan. 14. The 28-year-old Dubnyk, who set a franchise record with 38 straight starts following his acquisition from the Coyotes, went 27-9-2 with a 1.78 GAA, .936 save percentage and five shutouts after joining the Wild.
He backstopped the Wild -- his fifth NHL organization in the past two seasons -- to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Overall, Dubnyk went 36-14-4 with six shutouts in 58 games this season and ranked second in the NHL with both a 2.07 GAA and .929 save percentage. He was also voted a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the League's top goaltender.
Hammond went from being a little known minor league goaltender into the best story in the NHL, leading the Senators back into the playoff race by going 14-0-1 to begin his career. Overall, he went 20-1-2 with three shutouts and a 1.79 GAA in 24 games this season.
Letang is the Penguins' Masterton Trophy candidate for the second consecutive season, his latest nomination coming just 15 months after suffering a stroke in January 2014.
The 28-year-old Letang set career highs in goals (11-tied), assists (43) and points (54) in 2014-15. His .78 points-per-game ranked fourth among all league defensemen and was only behind Erik Karlsson's .80.
The winner will be announced June 24 during the NHL's awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
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