Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon and Artemi Panarin each had a memorable regular season, but only one will be awarded the Hart Trophy during the 2020 NHL Awards presented by Las Vegas on Monday.
The Hart Trophy, given annually to the NHL player voted to be most valuable to his team, will be one of the five remaining regular-season trophies awarded during the 30-minute show that will air at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN in the United States, and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. The show will take place prior to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
Draisaitl, MacKinnon and Panarin are also the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by members of the NHL Players’ Association.
Draisaitl led the League with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) for the Edmonton Oilers this season. The 24-year-old center also led the NHL in points per game (1.55; minimum five games), assists, and power-play points (44), and he ranked first among forwards in average ice time per game (22:37). Draisaitl tied Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak for the League lead in game-winning goals (10), and was second in even-strength points (66) and power-play goals (16). He had at least one point in 56 of 71 games, including 33 multipoint games.
“He’s been a good player for a long time now,” Oilers center Connor McDavid said of his teammate. “Obviously he was great this year. Huge for us in all situations. [Being nominated for the Hart] is a super big accomplishment for him.”
MacKinnon finished fifth in the League with 93 points (35 goals, 58 assists) for the Colorado Avalanche, and was third in even-strength points (62). The 25-year-old center also had at least one point in 53 games of 69 games, including 29 multipoint games.
“We’re spoiled,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We see him every day, but obviously the impact that he has for our team, we consider him an MVP candidate and the lots around the League are taking notice of that.”
Panarin tied Pastrnak for third in the League with 95 points (32 goals, 63 assists) for the New York Rangers, but he was first in even-strength points (71) and led all forwards with a plus-36 rating. The 28-year-old left wing had at least one point in 54 of 69 games, including 28 multipoint games.
“I’m really very surprised to be nominated [for the Hart Trophy],” Panarin said. “Even after the season was paused, I never even thought I would be nominated for anything so it’s very important for me and very surprising for me, but it’s much more important for my relatives and my loved ones.”
The other awards announced on Monday will be the Calder Trophy, Vezina Trophy and Norris Trophy.
The three finalists for the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the best rookie in the NHL, are Dominik Kubalik of the Chicago Blackhawks, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Cale Makar of the Avalanche.
The three finalists for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the best goalie in the League, are Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The three finalists for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded to the League’s best defenseman, are John Carlson of the Washington Capitals, Victor Hedman of the Lightning and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators.
The awards show, co-hosted by NBC Sports’ Kenny Albert and Sportsnet’s Scott Oake from inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, the hub city for the Stanley Cup Final, will have an Edmonton feel to it, with Oilers greats Wayne Gretzky (Calder/Hart), Mark Messier (Lindsay), Grant Fuhr (Vezina) and Paul Coffey (Norris) presenting the winners of the five remaining awards.
The 2020 NHL Awards were originally scheduled for June 18 in Las Vegas but were postponed on March 25 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
Here are the 2020 NHL Awards winners that have already been announced:
Art Ross Trophy (regular-season scoring leader): Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (perserverance): Bobby Ryan, Ottawa Senators
Frank J. Selke Trophy (best defensive forward):Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers
Jack Adams Award (best coach): Bruce Cassidy, Boston Bruins
Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award: Lou Lamoriello, New York Islanders
King Clancy Memorial Trophy (leadership, contributions to community): Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (gentlemanly conduct): Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award: Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (regular-season goals leader): Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, and David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
William M. Jennings Trophy (fewest goals allowed): Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, Boston Bruins
Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award: Dampy Brar, Apna Hockey
