Marleau, O'Reilly, St. Louis voted Lady Byng finalists

NEW YORK -- Forwards Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks, Ryan O'Reilly of the Colorado Avalanche and Martin St. Louis of the New York Rangers are the three finalists for the 2013-14 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability," the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association submitted ballots for the Lady Byng Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Tuesday, June 24, during the 2014 NHL Awards from Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The 2014 NHL Awards will be broadcast by NBCSN in the United States and CBC in Canada.

Following are the finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy, in alphabetical order:

Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks

Marleau tallied his seventh 30-goal season in the past nine years, helping the Sharks reach the 100-point mark for the seventh time in that span. He ranked second on the Sharks in goals (33), was third in assists (37) and points (70), and led the club and placed fifth in the NHL in shots on goal (285). Marleau played in all 82 games and skated an average of 20:31 per contest but received just 18 penalty minutes. The 34-year-old Aneroid, Sask., native is a Lady Byng finalist for the second time, finishing third behind Pavel Datsyuk and Brad Richards in 2006.

Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado Avalanche

O'Reilly tallied a career-high 64 points as the resurgent Avalanche captured the Central Division title and tied a franchise record with 52 victories. He led the club in goals (28), power-play goals (nine) and game-winners (six-tied), and led the NHL in takeaways (83) for the second time in the past three seasons. O'Reilly was flagged for just one minor penalty all season, joining Butch Goring (1977-78, Los Angeles) as the only players ever to receive two or fewer PIM over 80 or more games. The 23-year-old Clinton, Ont., native is a Lady Byng Trophy finalist for the first time.

Martin St. Louis, New York Rangers

In quest of a repeat Lady Byng Trophy win and fourth in the past five years, St. Louis recorded the seventh 30-goal season of his NHL career (30-39--69). He led the Rangers in goals, points and power-play goals (nine) and ranked second in plus-minus (+13). St. Louis ranked third among NHL forwards in total time on ice (1,696:11), but was assessed just 10 penalty minutes -- fewest among the League's top 20 scorers. The 38-year-old native of Laval, Que., is a Lady Byng finalist for the eighth time in the past 10 years.

History

Lady Byng, wife of Canada's Governor-General at the time, presented the Lady Byng Trophy during the 1924-25 season. After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight seasons, he was given the trophy to keep and Lady Byng donated another trophy in 1936. After Lady Byng's death in 1949, the National Hockey League presented a new trophy, changing the name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

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A full line up of presenters and entertainment, as well as information on official 2014 NHL Awards travel packages, will be announced in the coming months. Fans can enter for a chance to win a trip to the 2014 NHL Awards. Full details are available at www.NHL.com/Vegas. Tweet about the event using the official hashtag #NHLAwards.