NEW YORK (May 7, 2024) – Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid are the three finalists for the 2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists.

Following are the finalists, in alphabetical order:

Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov paced the NHL and set a franchise record with 44-100—144 (81 GP) – the second-most points by any player over the past 28 years – to capture his second career Art Ross Trophy (also 2018-19) and propel the Lightning to their seventh consecutive playoff berth. He factored on exactly half of Tampa Bay’s 288 total goals (excluding shootout-deciding goals), marking the 12th instance in League history of a player registering points on at least 50 percent of his team’s scoring within a single season – and just the third occasion this century, after Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers in both 2020-21 (57.4%) and 2018-19 (50.7%). Kucherov finished 54 points ahead of his closest teammate (Brayden Point: 46-44—90 in 81 GP), the largest gap between a team’s top two scorers since the 2000-01 Florida Panthers (55: Pavel Bure: 59-33—92 in 82 GP and Viktor Kozlov: 14‑23—37 in 51 GP). Kucherov, who capped 2023-24 by becoming the fifth different player in NHL history – and first winger – to produce 100 assists in one season (tied for the League lead with McDavid), also ranked among the top performers in power-play assists (1st; 40), power-play points (1st; 53), three-point games (1st; 23 – the most by any player since 1995-96), four-point games (t-1st; 8), multi-point games (t-2nd; 41), shots on goal (8th; 306) and goals (10th; 44). The 30-year-old Kucherov – a finalist for the second time after capturing the award in 2018-19 – is seeking to become the fourth active player with multiple Hart Trophy wins, following McDavid (3x), Alex Ovechkin (3x) and Sidney Crosby (2x).

Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon ranked second in the NHL and established a franchise record with 51-89—140 (82 GP) – just the fifth 140-point campaign over the past 30 years – to guide the Avalanche to their seventh straight playoff appearance. He set career highs in goals and assists, becoming the sixth different player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to produce a 50-goal season and trailing only Peter Stastny (93 in 1981-82) for the franchise’s most helpers in a single campaign. MacKinnon, who found the scoresheet in a League-high 69 appearances (84.1%), also set personal bests and ranked among the 2023-24 leaders in even-strength points (1st; 92), multi-point games (1st; 44), shots on goal (1st; 405), power-play assists (2nd; 38), power-play points (2nd; 48) and plus/minus (t‑6th; +35). His totals were aided by a 35-game point streak at Ball Arena to begin the season (Oct. 19 – March 26: 29-48—77), the second-longest home scoring streak in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky’s unblemished 1988-89 home campaign (33-70—103 in 40 GP w/ LAK). MacKinnon additionally became the first player in League history to record two separate overall point streaks of at least 19 contests within the same season, doing so Nov. 20 – Dec. 27 (13-23—36 in 19 GP) and Feb. 13 – March 26 (13-25—38 in 19 GP). The 28-year-old MacKinnon – a Hart Trophy finalist for the fourth time after finishing third in voting in 2020-21, second in 2019-20 and second in 2017-18 – is vying to join Peter Forsberg (2002-03) and Joe Sakic (2000-01) as the third player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to win the award.

Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers

McDavid, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, finished third in the League with 32-100—132 (76 GP) to power the Oilers to their fifth straight postseason appearance despite a 2-9-1 start to the season. He became the sixth player in NHL history to register at least seven 100-point campaigns and the first to reach the milestone in four or more consecutive seasons since 1992-93, when Steve Yzerman (6) and Brett Hull (4) both achieved the feat. McDavid also became the first player to produce back-to-back 130-point campaigns since Mario Lemieux in 1991-92 and 1992-93, and the first to record at least 120 points in three consecutive since Wayne Gretzky ended a run of 13 straight in 1991-92. McDavid, who – at 1.52 – owns the third-highest points per game rate in League history (minimum: 500 GP) behind Gretzky (1.92) and Lemieux (1.88), became the fifth-fastest player to reach the 900-point milestone (602 GP: Jan. 2 vs. PHI) and the fourth-fastest to accumulate 600 career assists (616 GP: Feb. 13 vs. DET). He added to his outstanding campaign by becoming the fourth different player in NHL history (and first since Gretzky in 1990-91) to collect 100 assists in a season (April 15 vs. SJS) – a milestone later matched by Nikita Kucherov. The 27-year-old McDavid – a three-time winner (2022-23, 2020-21 and 2016-17) and finalist for the sixth time in his nine NHL seasons – is looking to become the fourth player with at least four Hart Trophies, following Gretzky (9x), Gordie Howe (6x) and Eddie Shore (4x). McDavid also is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner since Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

History

The Hart Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL in 1960 after the original Hart Trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The original Hart Trophy was donated to the NHL in 1924 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens.

Announcement Schedule

The series of NHL Trophy finalist announcements concludes Wednesday, May 8, when the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award will be unveiled.