NEW YORK – Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, Mike Green of the Washington Capitals and Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings are finalists for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman.

The league announced the finalists Thursday. The winner will be revealed June 18.

Lidstrom is seeking his seventh Norris and fourth in a row. He ranks third among NHL defensemen in scoring with 59 points (16 goals, 43 assists).

Chara is a finalist for the second straight season. He led a Bruins defense that allowed the fewest goals per game in the league.

Green led all defensemen in scoring with 73 points (31 goals, 42 assists) to become a finalist for the first time. He’s the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season since the Capitals’ Kevin Hatcher in 1992-93.

Price bears brunt of Habs’ future hopes

BROSSARD, Quebec – Carey Price deliberately conjured up an image of Patrick Roy’s fateful last stand in Montreal as the Canadiens’ 100th season drew to a disappointing end.

Price, Montreal’s sophomore goalie, raised his arms over his head in response to a sarcastic cheer from the Bell Centre crowd of 21,273 after he stopped a harmless dump-in during the Canadiens’ season-ending 4-1 loss to Boston on Wednesday night.

Montreal was swept in four straight by the top-seeded Bruins in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal, and Price’s gesture left the hockey-mad city divided, with many fans and pundits criticizing him for being brash while general manager and coach Bob Gainey defended him for standing up for himself.

“Well, to be honest, I used that particular gesture to remind the people that booing doesn’t always help,” Price said at a press conference at the team’s suburban practice facility Thursday.

Roy made the same gesture 14 years earlier when he responded in kind to mock cheers in what would prove to be his final game with Montreal.

Flames’ Roy gets 1-game suspension

TORONTO – Calgary Flames forward Andre Roy has been suspended one game by the NHL after initiating contact with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Aaron Johnson during pre-game warmups Wednesday night.

The league issued the suspension Thursday and Roy will miss Game 5 on Saturday.

He will also be fine $2,500, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.

The Flames won Wednesday night’s game 6-4 in Calgary to tie the series, 2-2.