Nikita Kucherov named Hart Trophy finalist after dazzling season

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TAMPA, Fla. - After a record-breaking season, Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy, the NHL's MVP award. 

Kucherov led the NHL with 144 points and became the fifth player in NHL history with 100 assists in a season. 

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The fourth player to accomplish that feat, Connor McDavid, is a co-finalist with Kucherov and nabbed his 100th assist just days before him. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon rounds out the list of finalists.

Kucherov's 144 points (44 goals, 100 assists) were the most for a player in Lightning history, surpassing his own record of 128 in the 2018-2019 season. He also won the Hart Trophy that year.  

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At 30, Kucherov led the Bolts to the playoffs, despite injuries to defenders Mikhail Sergachev and Andrei Vasilevskiy. 

The Hart Trophy is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.