Draisaitl, Hellebuyck and Kucherov named Hart Trophy finalists

By Canadian Press on May 1, 2025.

NEW YORK — Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are finalists for the Hart Trophy, the NHL announced Thursday.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov is the third nominee for the award, which is given annually to the player judged most valuable to his team.

Draisaitl, from Cologne, Germany, led the NHL with 52 goals to win the Rocket Richard Trophy and added 54 assists for 106 points, helping Edmonton finish third in the Pacific Division. He previously won the Hart in 2020.

Hellebuyck led the NHL with 47 wins, a 2.00 GAA, and a .925 save percentage, adding eight shutouts while guiding Winnipeg to its first Presidents’ Trophy. The 31-year-old, who is a Vezina Trophy finalist and already captured the William M. Jennings Trophy, is the first player in franchise history to be named a Hart finalist.

He aims to become the fourth netminder in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to win the award, joining Dominik Hasek (1997, 1998), José Théodore (2002), and Carey Price (2015).

Kucherov, from Maykop, Russia, topped the NHL with 121 points to capture his third Art Ross Trophy. The 2019 Hart winner helped Tampa Bay reach the playoffs for the eighth straight season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2025.

The Canadian Press