Canes’ Ryan finalist for Masterton Trophy

Carolina Hurricanes forward Derek Ryan has been named one of three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The Masterton Trophy is an annual award given by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) to the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

The other finalists were Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson and Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano. The winner will be named at the 2017 NHL Awards on June 21 in Las Vegas.

Ryan, 30, was nominated for the Masterton Trophy by the Carolina chapter of the PHWA.

Few players have taken a longer, or more unlikely, journey to the NHL than Ryan, undersized and undrafted, who has finally established himself with the Hurricanes as a 29-year old rookie. The was the oldest player in franchise history to make his NHL debut.

His journey took him through nearly every level of hockey, from juniors to Canadian universities to the UHL and AHL and Austria and Sweden. He finally got his first NHL shot last season with the Hurricanes, then became a full-time player this season, scoring 11 goals and earning 18 assists in 67 games with the Hurricanes.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 7:56 PM with the headline "Canes’ Ryan finalist for Masterton Trophy."