Pens’ Letang among 3 Masterton Trophy finalists

Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock are the three finalists for the 2022-23 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”

The Professional Hockey Writers Association’s local chapters submitted nominations at the end of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters named as finalists.

The winner will be revealed during the 2023 NHL Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Monday, June 26.

Letang, 36, played 64 games during a season in which he persevered through a stroke — the second of his lifetime — and the death of his father, both of which happened within four weeks of each other.

In his 17th season with the Penguins, Letang had 41 points and was 10th among all players in average ice time per game (24:51). Letang was a finalist for the 2014-15 Masterton Trophy, won by Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk.

Keller, 24, suffered a fractured femur during a game in March 2022 and underwent six months of rehab to be ready for the season. Keller played 82 games and set career highs in goals (37), assists (49) and points (86). In the process, he tied Keith Tkachuk for the most points in a single season by a Coyotes player.

Stalock, 35, signed as a free agent with the Blackhawks in July 2022 after having appeared in only one NHL game over the previous two seasons. Stalock had been diagnosed with myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19 in 2019-20. He battled through ailments ranging from concussions to oculomotor dysfunction, a vision problem that affects the central nervous system. But he managed to play 27 games for Chicago, going 9-15-2 with a 3.01 goals-against average.

A $2,500 grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.