Hellebuyck, Draisaitl and Kucherov are finalists for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov are the finalists for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, the winner of which will be announced later Thursday before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Hellebuyck is expected to win his second consecutive and third career Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. He backstopped the Jets to the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular season and the William Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed before losing in the second round of the playoffs to Dallas.
Only five goalies have taken home the Hart and Vezina in the same year and not since Carey Price a decade ago. Jose Theodore also did so in 2002, Dominik Hasek in 1997 and '98 and Jacques Plante in '62.
Kucherov, the Art Ross Trophy winner for leading all scorers with 122 points this season, was also chosen for the Ted Lindsay Award as most outstanding player, as voted on by his peers. The Russian winger was MVP in 2019 when the Lightning finished atop the standings.
Draisaitl, the Rocket Richard Trophy recipient for scoring a league-high 52 goals, won the Hart in 2020 after the season was cut short by the pandemic. He became the first German player to be MVP.
Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar won the Lady Byng for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct for a third time.
A majority of the awards were for the first time given out as surprises with no advanced notice. Colorado's Cale Makar got the Norris as the top defenseman, Florida's Aleksander Barkov the Selke as the best defensive forward and Washington's Spencer Carbery the Jack Adams as coach of the year.
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