Masterton finalists (sportsmanship, perserverance, dedication): Chelios, Zednik, Sullivan

[Forkboy]

The problem every year with the Bill Masterton Trophy is that when you read the supporting material for each candidate, you come away thinking he ought to win. Then you read the qualifications of the next candidate and think he ought to win. And so on.

So, the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association has a very difficult annual task in determining the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey."
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Chris Chelios, Detroit Red Wings -- Chelios was extremely excited to return for this season, which made him only the third player, in addition to Gordie Howe and Mark Messier, to play 25 NHL seasons. But he suffered a fractured tibia when he blocked a shot in a Sept. 30 preseason game against his old team, the Montreal Canadiens, and missed the first 28 games of the season.

He played only 28 games after returning Dec. 13 and did not register a point. But Chelios was available for injury replacements and played an important leadership role behind the scenes.

Chelios, 47, is being honored as much for his durability and high level of play over 25 seasons as for his return from injury. His teams have made the playoffs in 24 of his 25 seasons. He is the oldest player in the NHL.
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Steve Sullivan, Nashville Predators -- Sullivan played his first game this past season on Jan. 10, 687 days after he fragmented a spinal disc in a game against the Canadiens. He missed 142 games while he underwent two back surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. Sullivan's ability to resume his career was in serious doubt.

But he made it back and played in every game the rest of the season, except the game after his first game back. Sullivan had 11 goals and 21 assists in 41 games, a 0.78 points-per-game that was just slightly lower than his 0.8 points-per-game career average.
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Richard Zednik, Florida Panthers -- There have been few more frightening sights in NHL history than Zednik having his carotid artery nearly severed by teammate Olli Jokinen's skate on Feb. 28, 2008 in a game against the Sabres in Buffalo. Jokinen tripped over a rival player and his foot went high in the air, catching the unsuspecting Zednik in the throat.

Zednik kept his wits about him and quickly skated to his bench, where assistant trainer David Zenobi clamped a towel on his throat and teammate Jassen Cullimore helped carry him to the dressing room. Buffalo team doctor Les Bisson attended Zednik there and he was taken to Buffalo General Hospital where vascular surgeon Richard Curl and attending surgeon Sonya Noor repaired the wound.

By the time surgery started, Zednik had lost about five pints of blood and had gone into shock, with a high pulse and low-blood pressure. Doctors weren't far from losing him and said after surgery that it was a miracle that Jokinen's sharp skate blade hadn't also cut his jugular vein.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=420819
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I love Cheli, but I hope Zednik gets it. This is the second major injury he's come back from, both very frightening.