Rasmus Dahlin has been selected as a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually “to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
The Professional Hockey Writers Association selects 32 nominees for the award – one from each team – which were announced in April. Dahlin is one of three finalists along with Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog and Winnipeg's Jonathan Toews.
Dahlin captained the Sabres to their first playoff berth since 2011 this past season despite dealing with personal adversity away from the ice. His fiancée, Carolina Matovac, underwent an emergency heart transplant this past summer.
Dahlin twice returned to Sweden this season to be with Matovac during her recovery. She was finally able to join him in Buffalo in March and received a standing ovation when shown on the KeyBank Center video board during a game against Boston on March 25.
The Sabres captain managed to have a career year on the ice despite missing four games. His 74 points were a career high and ranked sixth among NHL defensemen.
Two Sabres have won the Masterton Trophy since it was introduced in 1968: Don Luce in 1975 and Pat LaFontaine in 1995.
