“McHart” strikes again. A day before the Edmonton Oilers kick off their second-round match-up against the Vancouver Canucks, Oilers captain Connor McDavid is a Hart trophy nominee for the fourth year in a row and for the sixth time in his NHL career. Having previously won the award for Most Valuable Player in 2017, 2021, and 2023, he could become only the fourth player in NHL history to win at least four Hart trophies. The other three to do this were Eddie Shore(4), Gordie Howe(6) and Wayne Gretzky(9).
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During the 2023/2024 regular season, after starting off the year playing with a nagging injury, he wound up finishing with 32 goals and 100 assists for 132 points in 76 games. He also became the fourth player post a 100 assist season. His statistical resurgence, after an early season coaching change, was a major factor in his team going from 31st place around U.S. Thanksgiving to finishing in 9th place with the best record of any team since that time.
The other two nominees this year are Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov and Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon.
Kucherov became the fifth NHL player, shortly after McDavid, to post a 100 assist season and led all NHL players with 144 points. He had the third-highest points total of any winger at all time, behind Jaromir Jagr(149) and Mike Bossy(147). He previously won the award in the 2018/2019 season, where he put up 41 goals and 87 assists for 128 points. He could become the fourth current player to win the award more than once. The other three being McDavid(3), Sidney Crosby(2), and Alex Ovechkin(2).
MacKinnon finished this regular season with 51 goals and 89 assists for 140 points in 81 games. It was the first 50 goal season of his NHL career. He’ll be looking for his first Hart win in four tries. The other three years he was nominated were 2018, 2020 and 2021. He could become the third player Avalanche player to win the award after Joe Sakic in 2001 and Peter Forsberg 2003.
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