Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano, and Carolina Hurricanes forward Derek Ryan have been named the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Trophy, the Professional Hockey Writers Association announced on Monday.

The award is voted on by the PWHA and recognizes players who best exemplify perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game.

Anderson earned his nomination after the tough year he endured. Back in late October, his wife Nicholle was diagnosed with a rare form of throat cancer.

The diagnosis forced Anderson to miss various chunks of time with Senators during the regular season, but still turned in incredible performances. Ultimately, he concluded the year with a 25-11-4 record in 40 games with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.

Cogliano got the nod for his unmatched durability. The 29-year-old is now in his 10th season in the league and has yet to miss a game since he stepped on the ice in his first season in 2007-08.

He is the current Ironman with 779 consecutive games played and has now played the second most games to begin a career in NHL history behind Doug Jarvis, who played 964 games.

Ryan rounds out the nominees, having made the NHL on a full-time basis this season after a rather unorthodox journey to the league. Ryan earned his first full-time gig with a team this season, playing 67 games with the Hurricanes and chipping in 11 goals and 29 points.

This comes after he went undrafted while playing in the Western Hockey League, the United Hockey League, for the University of Alberta, in Austria, in the Swedish Elite League, and the American Hockey League.

Ryan has certainly payed his dues and is finally living the dream.

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