Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is once again a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's most valuable player. The league announced Wednesday that McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov are the three nominees for the 2026 honor.
McDavid's Historic Pursuit
McDavid, who has already won the Hart Trophy three times (2017, 2021, 2023), is seeking to join an elite group of players with four or more MVP awards. Only Wayne Gretzky (nine), Mario Lemieux (four), and Gordie Howe (six) have won the Hart Trophy at least four times. The 29-year-old center led the NHL in scoring this season with 132 points, including 44 goals and 88 assists in 78 games.
MacKinnon and Kucherov's Strong Cases
MacKinnon, the 2024 Hart winner, posted 126 points (48 goals, 78 assists) while leading the Avalanche to the Central Division title. Kucherov, who won the Hart in 2019, recorded 125 points (46 goals, 79 assists) and guided the Lightning to a top-three finish in the Atlantic Division. Both players are considered strong contenders for the award.
The winner will be announced during the NHL Awards ceremony on June 26 in Las Vegas. McDavid's nomination marks the fifth time in his career he has been a finalist for the MVP trophy, underscoring his dominance in the league over the past decade.
