The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. This year's finalists are Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks. Rasmus Dahlin, a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres, is a finalist after his fiancée Carolina Matovac suffered severe heart failure during a vacation in France last summer, leading to a life-threatening period, a transplant, and the loss of their unborn child.
Despite this personal tragedy, Dahlin led the Sabres to their first playoff appearance in 15 years. Gabriel Landeskog, captain of the Colorado Avalanche, is a finalist for the second consecutive year after returning from a serious knee injury that caused him to miss nearly three full seasons. He underwent four major surgeries, including cartilage transplantation, to fix his knee problems.
This season, Landeskog helped the Avalanche win the Presidents' Trophy as the best regular-season team in the NHL. Both Dahlin and Landeskog are Swedish. If either wins, they would be the fourth Swedish winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy, after Anders Hedberg (1985), Robin Lehner (2019), and Oskar Lindblom (2021).
Two Finnish players, Ville Husso and Kevin Lankinen, were among the 32 nominees for the award. Husso started the season in the AHL but returned to the NHL and helped his team push for the playoffs. According to Husso, he has dealt with injuries in recent years and it took time to regain his confidence, but things have gone well since joining Anaheim, and he has tried to enjoy the season.
Lankinen is known for his work ethic and professionalism, and has taken on a mentor role in the Canucks' locker room. Finnish winners of the Masterton Trophy include Saku Koivu (2001–02) and Teemu Selänne (2005–06). The winner will be announced during the NHL Awards ceremony later this year.