OTTAWA – The Ottawa chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) announced the selection of Erik Karlsson as the Ottawa Senators’ candidate for the 2013-14 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Karlsson, 23, is currently competing in his fourth season in the National Hockey League. The Senators’ defenceman suffered a laceration (70 per cent) to the achilles tendon in his left leg on Feb. 13, 2013, causing him to miss the majority of the 2012-13 season.

After spending the summer of 2013 rehabilitating, Karlsson returned much closer to 100 per cent than had been expected this season and has played in each of Ottawa’s 75 games. Not only has Karlsson played up to (and often surpassed) 30 minutes per night, but he set a franchise-record with his 20th goal of the season in a 4-3 shootout win last Tuesday at Tampa Bay to best the mark for defencemen he had set along with former Senators blueliner Steve Duchesne.

Karlsson leads all Natonal Hockey League defenceman in goals (20), points (70) and shots (238), while he ranks second in time-on-ice at 27:11 per game. Through 75 games, he has accumulated 13 more points than any other NHL defenceman.

Karlsson represented his native Sweden at the recent Winter Olympics in Sochi, winning a silver medal. He was named to the tournament’s all-star team and was selected as the tournament’s top defenceman.

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is an annual award under the trusteeship of the PHWA and is given to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

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