Connor McDavid could make NHL history with latest Hart Trophy nomination
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been named a finalist for this year’s Hart Trophy for the sixth time in his careerāand it could be a historic one.
After having a bit of a slow start to the season, the 27-year-old lit up the league and became one of five players in hockey history to achieve 100 assists in a single season. Overall, he ended the year with 32 goals and 132 points, which put him in third place for the league lead.
The two players ahead of McDavid in scoring this season are also finalists with Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Nikita Kucherov and Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon making the cut.
Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid are the three finalists for the 2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy.#NHLAwards: https://t.co/pnAGn3bwul pic.twitter.com/Kw8efdHeOp
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 7, 2024
Though McDavid very nearly won the award in a unanimous vote last season, this year’s competition will be much stiffer. This is one of the rare seasons where McDavid didn’t lap the competition in terms of points production, as his 132 points were less than MacKinnon’s 140 and Kucherov’s Art Ross-winning 144.
If the votes wind up in favour of the Oilers captain, it would put McDavid in some exclusive company within NHL history. Heading into the season, McDavid has won three Hart Trophies (2017, 2021, 2023).
Winning a fourth one would put him in a group that includes Wayne Gretzky (11), Gordie Howe (six), and Eddie Shore (four) as the only players ever to win four or more MVP awards. The only active player in the NHL with three Hart wins right now (other than McDavid) is Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin.
Whether he joins that club or not, the nomination should be seen as a testament to McDavid’s skill set and ability to overcome adversity. When the Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft in November, nobody would have thought that the team would be in the second round of the playoffs and that McDavid would once again be back in the Hart Trophy conversation.
The date and time for the 2024 NHL Awards presentation has not yet been revealed but it’s expected to take place sometime in June.
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