NEW YORK (May 1, 2025) – Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov are the three finalists for the 2024-25 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:

Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl (52-54—106 in 71 GP), despite missing 11 games, topped the League with 52 goals to secure his first career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy and guide the Oilers (48-29-5, 101 points) to their sixth straight playoff berth. He set a single-season NHL record with six overtime goals, shared first place in game-winning goals (11) and multi-goal performances (10), ranked second in even-strength goals (36), and tied for second in power-play goals (16). Draisaitl, who scored in 42 of his 71 total contests (59.2%) and registered both the longest goal (t-7 GP) and point (18 GP) streaks by any player in 2024-25, also finished among the League leaders in points per game (2nd; 1.49), points (3rd; 106), shooting percentage (minimum: 1 SOG/GP, 4th; 21.7%), power-play points (t-10th; 33) and plus/minus (t‑10th; +32). He reached the 100-point milestone for the fourth consecutive season and sixth time overall on March 14 at NYI. Just six players in NHL history have posted more such campaigns: Wayne Gretzky (15), Mario Lemieux (10), Marcel Dionne (8), Connor McDavid (8), Mike Bossy (7) and Peter Stastny (7). The 29-year-old Draisaitl, the 2019-20 recipient, is seeking to become the third Oilers player with multiple Hart Trophy wins, after Gretzky (8) and McDavid (3). Only two NHL franchises, both from the Original Six, currently have at least three players with multiple Hart Trophies: the Boston Bruins (4: Bill Cowley, Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr and Eddie Shore) and Montreal Canadiens (3: Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur and Howie Morenz).

Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck (47-12-3, 2.00 GAA, .925 SV%, 8 SO), who already captured the William M. Jennings Trophy and has been named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, led the NHL with 47 victories to lift the Jets (56-22-4, 116 points) to franchise records for wins and points in a season as well as their first Presidents’ Trophy. Only two netminders in League history have recorded more wins in a single campaign: Martin Brodeur in 2006-07 (48 w/ NJD) and Braden Holtby in 2015-16 (48 w/ WSH). Hellebuyck’s nine-win edge over No. 2-ranked Andrei Vasilevskiy (38-20-5 w/ TBL) also represented the largest gap between the NHL’s top-two winningest goaltenders since 1990-91, when No. 1 Ed Belfour (43-19-7 w/ CHI) finished 12 ahead of No. 2 Mike Vernon (31-19-3 w/ CGY). Hellebuyck, who yielded two or fewer goals in 40 of his 63 total appearances (63.5%), additionally placed among the League leaders (minimum: 25 GP) in goals-against average (1st; 2.00), shutouts (1st; 8), save percentage (2nd; .925), games started (2nd; 62), saves (4th; 1,539) and high-danger save percentage (4th; .845). The 31-year-old Hellebuyck is the first player in Jets/Thrashers history who has been voted as a finalist for the Hart Trophy. He also is the first goaltender who has been selected as a finalist since Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22 (3rd w/ NYR) and is vying to become the fourth netminder in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to win the award, following Dominik Hasek (1996-97 and 1997-98 w/ BUF), Jose Theodore (2001-02 w/ MTL) and Carey Price (2014-15 w/ MTL).

Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov (37-84—121 in 78 GP) paced the NHL with 121 points – 31 more than his closest teammate (Brandon Hagel: 35-55—90 in 82 GP) – to capture his second straight and third overall Art Ross Trophy as well as power the Lightning (47-27-8, 102 points) to their eighth consecutive playoff berth. Kucherov – who became the 14th player in League history with at least three career 120-point seasons (also 2018-19: 41-87—128 and 2023-24: 44-100—144) – followed up an 83-assist performance in 2022-23 and a 100-assist campaign in 2023-24 by sharing first place with 84 helpers in 2024-25, making him the fourth player in League history with three straight 80-assist seasons. The others: Wayne Gretzky (13; 1979-90 – 1991-92), Bobby Orr (3; 1969-70 – 1971-72) and Paul Coffey (3; 1983-84 – 1985-86). Kucherov found the score sheet in 65 of his 78 total appearances (83.3%), producing multiple points 33 times (2nd in the NHL) and three or more points on 17 occasions (1st in the NHL) to also rank among the League leaders in points per game (1st; 1.55), power-play assists (1st; 38), power-play points (1st; 46), even-strength points (3rd; 75), even-strength assists (5th; 46), game-winning goals (t-5th; 9), even-strength goals (t-8th; 29), shots on goal (9th; 265) and goals (t-13th; 37). The 31-year-old Kucherov, the 2018-19 Hart Trophy recipient, is seeking to become the third player to go six-plus years between wins, after Jean Beliveau (8 years, 1955-56 and 1963-64) and Sidney Crosby (7 years, 2006-07 and 2013-14).

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 continues Friday, May 2, when the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, Frank J. Selke Trophy, Jack Adams Award and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy all will be unveiled.