Three players have been shortlisted for the NHL's Bill Masterton Trophy.
Winnipeg Jets centre Jonathan Toews, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog and Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin were named finalists by the league for the award on Monday.
The Masterton Trophy goes “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
Toews, 38, made his return to the NHL after two seasons away in which he battled a variety of health issues including long COVID and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.
The Winnipeg native went on to play all 82 games with his hometown team, registering 11 goals and 18 assists. His faceoff win rate of 62.1 per cent led all 47 centres who took at least 1,000 draws.
“I am very thankful for all of the struggles,” Toews told Paul Friesen in the Winnipeg Sun. “Because, honestly, it is cliche but it’s where I’ve learned the most about myself. About hockey, about life and all of those things. So I’m thankful."
Landeskog, 33, battled injury issues of his own amid four majors procedures, including a knee cartilage replacement in May 2023. He missed two full seasons plus a third regular season before returning in last year's playoffs, becoming the first NHLer ever to come back from that knee operation.
The Swede then played 60 games this season, recording 14 goals and 21 assists while leading the Avalanche to the Presidents' Trophy. He has played all five post-season games for Colorado in 2026, putting up two goals and three assists.
Dahlin, meanwhile, played through personal tragedy, as his fiancée Carolina
Matovec revealed she lost their unborn child just months after she experienced heart failure, which caused her to spend several weeks on life support. Dahlin took a weeklong leave of absence in November, and Matovec recovered and was deemed healthy enough to travel with the Sabres in March.
Through all of that, the Swedish defenceman skated in 77 games with the Sabres, guiding them to their first post-season appearance in 15 years and first playoff series win in 19 years. He collected 19 goals and 55 assists in the regular season and has added one goal and three assists in the playoffs.
The winner of the Masterton Trophy will likely be announced at the NHL Awards in June.
Finalists for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year will be unveiled on Tuesday.
