Former Penguin Dupuis highlights Masterton nominees

On Sunday, Dupuis, New York Rangers right winger Mats Zuccarello and Florida Panthers right winger Jaromir Jagr were named nominees for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy given to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."

Pascal Dupuis’ career may have ended under less than ideal circumstances, but at least he has a chance to collect some hardware as a parting gift.

Dupuis retired from the NHL on Dec. 8 as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins because he was suffering from blood clots. He had two goals and four points in 18 games this season before he stopped playing. Dupuis was first diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung in November 2014 and missed the rest of the 2014-15 season.

Despite having to retire, the 37-year-old has remained with the Penguins, offering assistance where needed. He recorded 190 goals and 409 points in 891 career games with the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers and Penguins and won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009.

Zuccarello returned to action after recovering from a skull fracture and brain contusion, which he sustained when he was struck in the head by a shot in the opening round of the 2015 playoffs. The shot to the head hospitalized Zuccarello for three days and he lost the ability to speak for four days. His 26 goals and 61 points this season were both career highs, as were his 81 games played.

Jagr, 44, was the oldest player in the NHL this season and made an impact as the Panthers won a division title for the second time in team history. He moved into third place on the NHL’s all-time goal and point lists with 741 and 1,868, respectively. That was on the strength of registering 27 goals and 39 assists in 79 games. As a result, Jagr became the oldest player in NHL history to earn at least 60 points in a season.

The Masterton will be given out June 22 at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.