Kucherov wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov capped off his phenomenal regular season Wednesday night by winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL MVP.
Kucherov scored a career-high 41 goals during the 2018-19 season and led the league in assists (87) and points (128). He was a major factor in the Lightning tying the NHL record with a 62-win campaign, though the season ended in a disappointing first-round sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
His point total was the highest the league has seen since 1995-96 and he needed only 62 games to reach the 100-point plateau, becoming the fastest player hit the century mark since Mario Lemieux in 1996-97.
Kucherov's mammoth season earned him 164 first-place votes, well ahead of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid:
Hart Trophy winner @86Kucherov led the NHL with 128 points – the most by any player since 1995-96 – and helped the @TBLightning tie the NHL record for wins in one season (62).
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 20, 2019
Full Results: https://t.co/I34nC919Ei #NHLAwards #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/8z0GqyIq1B
Kucherov was a busy man at the award show in Las Vegas, also claiming the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top point-getter and the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL's most outstanding player as voted by his peers.