Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov have been named finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player to his team.
McDavid is the reigning Hart Trophy winner and is seeking his fourth, which would tie him with Boston Bruins legend Eddie Shore for third-most all-time. Wayne Gretzky (9) and Gordie Howe (6) are the only other players who’ve won more league MVPs. McDavid’s 132 points were third-best among NHLers, trailing Kucherov and MacKinnon, and he became the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a season.
MacKinnon has never won the Hart Trophy but has been a finalist four times. The Avalanche forward had a 35-game home points streak, just five games shy of the record set by Gretzky. MacKinnon’s 51 goals, 89 assists and 140 points were all career highs, trailing Kucherov’s point tally by four. It’s also the first time he’s ever recorded back-to-back 100-point seasons.
GO DEEPER
NHL awards watch: Nathan MacKinnon leads an extremely tight Hart Trophy race
Kucherov is vying for his second Hart Trophy after he secured his second Art Ross Trophy with 144 points. His 2023-24 statistics outperformed his 2018-19 Hart Trophy-winning campaign where he also won the Art Ross and the Ted Lindsay Award. He joined McDavid in the 100-assist club as well.
GO DEEPER
Is Nikita Kucherov having an MVP season right under our noses?
Required reading
(Photo of Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid: Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
