Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and outgoing NHL star Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks are among the nominees for the 2022 Bill Masterton Trophy.
Each of the Professional Hockey Writers Associations (PWHPA) local chapters nominates a player from the league's 32 markets.
The PWHPA votes on the NHL player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game."
The winner will be announced during the NHL Awards ceremony between the third and fourth games of the Stanley Cup final.
The trophy has been awarded since 1968.
It's named in memory of Minnesota North Stars player Bill Masterton, who died Jan. 15, 1968, of head injuries sustained during a game.
After helping the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup final in 2021, the 34-year-old Price underwent knee surgery last summer. He suffered numerous setbacks in returning to the game.
Shortly before the season started, Price enrolled in the NHL and NHL Players' Association's player assistance program, which meant a minimum 30-day absence. He later revealed that he made this decision to deal with a substance abuse problem.
When he returned to the team's roster in early November, he started his rehabilitation again -- which was then interrupted in early 2022 when the team was affected by an outbreak of COVID-19.
Price said on Jan. 31 that he hoped to return to play by the end of the season but admitted there was a possibility his career could be in jeopardy.
Getzlaf became the all-time leading scorer of the Anaheim Ducks and surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in his 17th and final NHL season.
The 36-year-old from Regina was hampered by a foot injury in the season's second half, but Getzlaf continued to mentor the next generation of Ducks players including Troy Terry in a breakout 36-goal season.
The other Masterton nominees were Andrew Ladd (Arizona Coyotes); Jake DeBrusk (Boston Bruins); Kyle Okposo (Buffalo Sabres); Chris Tanev (Calgary Flames); Antti Raanta (Carolina Hurricanes); Dylan Strome (Chicago Blackhawks); Jack Johnson (Colorado Avalanche); Justin Danforth (Columbus Blue Jackets); Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars); Marc Staal (Detroit Red Wings); Kris Russell (Edmonton Oilers); Anthony Duclair (Florida Panthers); Blake Lizotte (Los Angeles Kings); Jared Spurgeon (Minnesota Wild); Mark Borowiecki (Nashville Predators); Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils); Zdeno Chara (New York Islanders); Chris Kreider (New York Rangers); Anton Forsberg (Ottawa Senators); Kevin Hayes (Philadelphia Flyers); Brian Boyle (Pittsburgh Penguins); Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues); Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks); Jaden Schwartz (Seattle Kraken); Alex Killorn (Tampa Bay Lightning); Ondrej Kase (Toronto Maple Leafs); Luke Schenn (Vancouver Canucks); Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights), Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets); and Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals).
Last year's winner was Philadelphia Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and returned to play in the NHL.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 25, 2022.
