Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo was named as a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Saturday.
Luongo's competitors for the trophy are Brian Boyle of the New Jersey Devils and Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes. Boyle was recently involved in some on-ice controversy, but the voting for this award took place prior to the playoffs. Staal serves as a co-captain with the Hurricanes.
The trophy is not directly related to statistical performance, but rather is awarded to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
Luongo was once again a veteran leader for Florida and also had some noteworthy nights in the net. The veteran goaltender ended up with a .929 save percentage and had three shutouts during the 2017-18 season. Luongo missed a significant amount of time with an injury, but returned in the second half to help keep Florida in contention.
In addition to his on-ice work, Luongo had a significant moment involving the local community. Following the February 14th tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Luongo addressed the crowd prior to a game. Luongo's speech was passionate and sorely needed by the community.
Jaromir Jagr brought home this trophy following the 2015-16 season and he was the first Panthers player to ever do so. Luongo won the William M. Jennings Trophy after his 2010-11 campaign with the Vancouver Canucks.
The winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy will be revealed on June 20th at the NHL Awards.
