On Monday night, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers won his third Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), narrowly missing unanimous selection by one vote. McDavid also received the Ted Lindsay Award as the league’s most outstanding player, as voted by his peers. This recognition comes after McDavid had an exceptional season, leading the league in goals (64), assists (89), and points (153). His 153 points were the most by any player since Mario Lemieux in the 1995-96 season.
McDavid had previously won the Hart Trophy in 2017 and 2021, as well as the Ted Lindsay Award in 2017, 2018, and 2021. Despite his individual success, McDavid is still aiming to win his first Stanley Cup, as the Oilers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual champions, the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Hart Trophy voting saw one out of 196 voters select David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins as the MVP. The Bruins had a strong presence at the awards ceremony, with captain Patrice Bergeron winning his sixth Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward. Goaltender Linus Ullmark received the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie, and coach Jim Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in his first season with the team.
Other notable award winners included Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks, who received the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman for the third time, and Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken, who won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year. Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings won the Lady Byng Award for sportsmanship, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, and Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance and dedication.
The voting for the Hart, Norris, Selke, Calder, Masterton, and Lady Byng Awards is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. The Vezina Trophy is determined by general managers, and the Jack Adams Award is chosen by members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.