Tweet LOS ANGELES -- Draft day is once again busy for defenseman Keith Ballard, the biggest name player traded on a slow first day of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Finals Tim Thomas Jersey . Just before the start of the draft here at Staples Center, the Florida Panthers traded Ballard and prospect Victor Oreskovich to Vancouver for forwards Steve Bernier and Michael Grabner, plus the No. 25 pick in Fridays first round, a selection used on Quinton Howden. As a result, first-year Florida GM Dale Tallon had picks No. 3, No. 15 and No. 25 in Fridays first round. Tallon moved the No. 15 to Los Angeles for the No. 19 pick and No. 59, then took a big center, Nick Bjugstad, with the No. 19 selection. Bjugstad, an American whose father Scott played in the NHL, will play college hockey for the University of Minnesota this fall. At No. 25, Tallon selected Howden, who a center from Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League who scored 65 points in 65 games with the Warriors last season. Ironically, Ballard was traded to Florida from Phoenix two years ago, also on Draft night. This season, Ballard finished with 28 points while playing in all 82 games. He was among the team leader in blocked shots and hits, providing a physical presence on the blue line. In fact, his 201 blocked shots were third in the League. But Ballard, a first-round pick back in 2002, was due $4.2 million in each of the next five seasons and Tallon is trying to remake the team with younger talent. Earlier this week, he moved forwards Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell to the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman, the No. 15 pick this year, and a third-round pick in 2011. The Panthers also took physical defenseman Erik Gudbranson of the Ontario Hockey Leagues Kingston Frontenacs with the No. 3 selection in Fridays Draft. The 6-foot-4, 195-Gudbranson could quickly develop into the shot-blocking, hard-hitting force Florida dealt away in Ballard. Bernier, who scored 11 goals with 11 assists in 59 games for the Canucks last season, will be a restricted free agent in 2011. Grabner, meanwhile, was a first-round pick in 2006 and had 11 points in 20 games with Vancouver this season. He also had 48 points with Manitoba in the American Hockey League. Oreskovich had just 6 points in 50 games with Florida this year, his first NHL action since going in the second round in 2004. Philadelphia Eagles Rod Woodson Jersey VANCOUVER -- By following in his brother's footsteps Daniel Sedin could write some NHL family history. The Vancouver Canucks' left-winger is in the race for the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring leader. He is also among the players mentioned as a candidate for the Hart Trophy as league Wholesale Jerseys Such was his reputation that in September 1928 Trottier s pro rights were acquired by the Montreal Maroons for an incredible $10000. Trottier began his NHL career with the Maroons in 1928-29, playing 37 games in his first season but recording only Replicas LaMarr Woodley Jersey If the NHL Players' Association goes on strike today, it won't be the first such labor walkout in league history. Just the largest. The last and only strike in NHL history was confined to one team. In the 1924-25 season, the Hamilton Tigers balked at having to wait around 10 days Premier Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys As Michelle Tuckner of WBAY-Ch. 2 chronicled, Crabtree doesn't have a lot of arm space left for new tattoos. But the lockout gave him plenty of time to roam the mall in a low-key and fun way. Crabtree mingled with fans, encouraged them to try on the ring and explained the significance of the design. Philadelphia Eagles Shonn Greene Jerseys The filings also certainly suggest that the Tiffany bill was not paid off every month in full, since the same figure is listed for two years straight. (Callista Gingrich then left the staff of the House Agriculture Committee, and was no longer required to file a disclosure statement, so it is unclear whether or when the loan was paid off.) Tweet The three finalists for the 2009-10 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy are Kurtis Foster of Tampa Bay, Jed Ortmeyer of San Jose, and Jose Theodore of Washington. The Masterton Trophy is presented annually to "the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." The winner is selected by a poll among the 30 chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season. A $2,500 grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minn., in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner. The trophy was presented by the Professional Hockey Writers Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars, who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and who died Jan. 15, 1968 following an injury sustained in an NHL game. The winner of the trophy will be announced at the 2010 NHL Awards, to be held in Las Vegas on June 23. The ceremony will be broadcast live from the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas on VERSUS in the United States and CBC in Canada. Here is a closer look at the finalists. Kurtis Foster, Tampa Bay Lightning Kurtis Foster (Getty Images) Kurtis Foster (Getty Images) On March 19, 2008, Fosters career nearly was shattered as he fell into the end boards at HP Pavilion in San Jose. The defenseman was chasing down an icing call when he got pushed from behind by San Joses Torrey Mitchell, a play that left Foster lying on the ice in agonizing pain. For 12 minutes, he was attended to by Minnesota Wild medical personnel as his left leg was put into a splint before he was placed on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital. The next day, Foster underwent surgery in which a rod was inserted into his left femur to help stabilize a badly broken bone. At the time, Fosters thoughts were about whether or not he ever would play hockey again. After understanding exactly what kind of surgery he underwent, he later would admit that he realized he was lucky to even walk again. For months, however, Foster hung on to his desire to return to the NHL. He worked closely with Minnesota medical personnel and trainers undergoing extensive rehabilitation. Nearly a year after his accident, Foster returned to practice. On Feb. 8, 2009, he was back in the game, starting a rehabilitation stint with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, where he had a goal and 6 points in six games. Then, on March 7, 2009, he returned to the NHL with the Wild, appearing in 10 games with Minnesota, totaling a goal and 6 points. Foster signed with Tampa Bay as an unrestricted free agent July 8, 2009, hoping to revitalize his career and be an offensive force from the blue line. In 2009-10, Foster set career highs with 34 assists and 42 points in 71 games, leading all Lightning defensemen in scoring. He also blocked 70 shots and, at times, took shifts as a forward, doing whatever it took to remain on the ice and contribute in any way he could. Jed Ortmeyer, San Jose Sharks "Its more important to get the info out there to help people know more about my situation Hopefully someone else in a similar situation will have the information to help them determine if they can play." -- San Jose Sharks forward Jed Ortmeyer, who suffers from a hereditary blood-clotting disorder The veteran forward not only has to work hard each shift to ensure he has a place in the NHL, but also battles a challenging health condition that requires daily attention. At some point each day, Ortmeyer must use a needle to inject a blood thinner directly into his stomach to combat a hereditary blood-clotting disorder that has threatened not only his hockey career, but also his life. "Its more important to get the info out there to help people know more about my situation," Ortmeyer said. "Hopefully someone else in a similar situation will have the information to help them determine if they can play." The process is tricky and the timing must be precise. The blood thinner, Lovenox, needs to be in his system during the down time when hes not on the ice and it needs to be out of his system when he plays or practices soo that a hard check or a high stick does not cause fatal bleeding. Philadelphia Eagles D Brickashaw Ferguson Jersey. Ortmeyer first experienced clotting problems in 2001 following knee surgery and has nearly walked away from hockey twice, most recently in 2008 when he played for the Nashville Predators. "There have been a couple of times that I thought to myself and talked to my family about not playing again and about whether the risk outweighs the reward," he said. "After rehab, resting and being away from the game, I had the itch and wanted to get back to play." This season, his first in San Jose, Ortmeyer has set career-highs in goals (8), assists (11) and points (19). An important cog in the teams fifth-ranked penalty killing unit (85.0 percent), Ortmeyer was fifth among all San Jose forwards in average shorthanded ice time per game (1:30). "Corny as it is and clichéd as it is, I enjoy playing hockey, and they always say you never know when your last shift is going to be," Ortmeyer said. "I wanted to go out on my terms and not be forced out by some medical issue." Originally signed as a free agent by the New York Rangers in 2003, following an outstanding career at the University of Michigan, Ortmeyer has posted 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 306 regular-season games with the Rangers, Predators and Sharks. Jose Theodore, Washington Capitals   JOSE THEODORE   G - WASHINGTON RECORD: 30-7-7 SV%: .911 | GAA: 2.81 | SO: 1 WATCH › Theodore had to deal with some adversity on the ice at the end of last season, losing his starting job in goal. But that loss hardly mattered when his 2-month-old son, Chace, passed away last summer from respiratory complications related to his premature birth. Since then, Theodore not only regained his starting job, but also had his best season since winning the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2001-02, posting a 30-7-7 record with a 2.81 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage to help the Capitals win the Presidents Trophy. Whats of greater importance is the way he has handled himself in the locker room, with fans and the media, and with "Saves for Kids," the new charity Theodore and his wife Stephanie founded to benefit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Childrens National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the hospital in which Chace spent his entire brief life. With Saves for Kids, Theodore wanted to create a foundation to honor his sons life and give back to the hospital where he and his wife had spent so many days in the summer. At Childrens National Medical Center, the 54-bed quaternary-level unit (now termed Level IIIC, the highest distinction available by the  American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines) is one of the regions major neonatal referral centers for sick newborn and/or infants (ages birth to three months). Childrens NICU services more than 40 in-region and out-of-region hospitals. At the end of the season Theodore will make a donation to the NICU at Childrens National based on his statistics, donating $2 for every save, $100 for every win and $500 for each shutout. F.H. Furr Plumbing Heating Air Conditioning Inc., a Lennox Premier Dealer, will match Theodores donation dollar for dollar during the regular season. During the playoffs, Theodore will up the ante, donating $5 for every save, $200 for every win, $750 for every shutout and an additional $500 for every playoff round won. "I think it was tough for him at the start, but I think coming to the rink was an escape for him to try and forget about things, but thats easier said than done," teammate Matt Bradley said. "I dont know if I could have done as good of a job as hes done. It shows what kind of a person he is to be able to stay focused and do his job." Added teammate Brendan Morrison: "Hes been very engaging, and he hasnt distanced himself at all. Hes been the consummate teammate. Nobody would begrudge him if he were distant because everyone knows his situation, but he, somehow, has been able to keep his personal life from negatively affecting his job. I have a lot of admiration and respect for him." Fans also have the opportunity to donate to Saves for Kids via PayPal on WashingtonCaps.com, either pledging based on Theodores statistics or making a one-time donation. Contact Rocky Bonanno at rbonanno@nhl.com ' ' '