Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price have been named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, presented annually to the NHL's top performer by the NHL Players' Association.
Benn became the first member of the Minnesota/Dallas franchise to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer, picking up career-highs in points (87), goals (35) and assists (52). A first-time nominee, Benn could become the first player in team history to be honored by fellow players.
A revitalized Ovechkin scored 53 goals to capture the Rocket Richard Trophy and finished fourth in the NHL with 81 points. He also led the league in power-play goals (25) and game-winning goals (11). The native of Russia is a three-time winner (2008-10) and also was nominated in 2006 and 2013.
Price completes a trifecta of nominations, along with previous nods for both the Vezina and Hart Trophies. The dynamic backstop led the league in wins with 44 -- which also stands as a new franchise record -- goals-against average (1.96) and save percentage (.933). He's bidding to become the first Habs player to earn the award since Guy Lafleur who did so three straight years from 1976-78.
The Lindsay Award, voted on exclusively by the players, was renamed for the Hall of Fame forward who helped establish the NHL Players' Association. It was previously known as the Lester B. Pearson Award from 1970-71 through 2008-09.
This year's winner will be announced June 24 during the NHL's awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
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