By Thomas Williams -
The Minnesota Wild already have Kirill Kaprizov as a finalist for the Calder Trophy and captain Jared Spurgeon as one of the top contenders for the Lady Byng, but now they have another name to add to that pile.
Defenseman Matt Dumba has been named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The award is presented annually to the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
Dumba has held a reputation as being an engaged member in the Minnesota community, earning last year’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy after co-founding the Hockey Diversity Alliance and pledging to make this sport more inclusive.
Even with some of the most vile online harassment targeting the 26-year-old defenseman, he continued to make a difference with the inaugural Matt Dumba Hockey Without Limits Camp as part of Hockey Day Minnesota 2021.
“I have a platform to make a change and make a difference. It’d be a shame if I let that go to waste,” Dumba told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Among the other finalists, Philadelphia Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom has battled back from cancer and returned to the ice for a full season. And for San Jose Sharks legend Patrick Marleau, he’s faced his own ups and downs transitioning through multiple teams and eventually coming back home to California and earning the NHL record for all-time games played, passing Gordie Howe.
Through 51 games played this season, Dumba scored 6 goals and 21 points.
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