The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.

The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one player in competition. It is often awarded to a player who has come back from a career or even life-threatening illness or injury. A player can win this trophy only once in his career.

The nominees this year are:

Jason Blake, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

Blake was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia earlier in the hockey season, yet did not miss one game.  He appeared in all 82 of the Leafs' games, amassing 15 goals and 37 assists for 52 points.

Chris Chelios, D, Detroit Red Wings

Chelios is playing in his 24th NHL season and is the second oldest player in NHL history to play in a game, at 46.  Gordie Howe is the oldest at 52.  Chelios had three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 69 games this year.

Fernando Pisani, F, Edmonton Oilers

Pisani missed training camp and the first 26 games of the season after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, but then returned to the Oilers to play the remaining 56 games, scoring 13 goals and nine assists for 22 points.

This is always a tough trophy to award to someone because every person nominated deserves the honor.  Whether it is cancer, a colon disease, or simply playing 10 years beyond anyone's expectations, all of these players have done unimaginable things.

However, I personally believe that anyone who can overcome cancer, perhaps the scariest disease of our time, and continue to play in every game and not miss a day or use the disease as an excuse...Well, that is quite an accomplishment. 

Therefore, I award the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy to Jason Blake of the Toronto Maple Leafs.