Hart Trophy Finalists Announced

The NHL has announced the names of the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the award handed out annually to the league's most valuable player to his team. 

The 2022-23 Hart Trophy finalists!

Pick your MVP 👇 pic.twitter.com/IoQiBBc3ch

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 12, 2023

There are no surprises on the list, which features Connor McDavid, David Pastrnak and Matthew Tkachuk.

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

The runaway favorite for the honors, McDavid had one of the greatest seasons in NHL history, with 153 points on 64 goals and 89 assists. Only Wayne Gretzky (9 times), Mario Lemieux (4 times) and Steve Yzerman (once) have had seasons that have surpassed McDavid in terms of production.

The Oilers superstar will be going for his third Hart Trophy in eight seasons in the league. 

He was also named as a finalist for the NHLPA's version, the Ted Lindsay Award, which is chosen by the players. 

David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

The Bruins' forward is only the 5th player to score 60 goals since the turn of the century, and his 61 goals and 52 assists placed him 3rd in NHL scoring this season with 113 points. His dominance helped the Bruins to a record-breaking season, with the most wins (65) and points (135) in NHL history.

His peers have also chosen him as a nominee for the Ted Lindsay award. 

Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

The gritty Panthers star is in his 7th NHL season, and first in Florida. He set a career-best with 109 points, on 40 goals and 69 points. The power forward brings superstar play to both sides of the puck, providing a defensive skill that outpaces his two rivals for the award. 

Tkachuk is currently helping to lead the Panthers to an unexpected run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, after knocking off the heavily-favored Bruins in the first round.

The winner will be announced at The NHL Awards night on June 26th in Nashville. 

Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports