The National Hockey League Players’ Association announced today the three finalists for the 2023-24 Ted Lindsay Award are forwards Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The TLA is presented annually to “the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.
This season’s trio of finalists includes two past recipients, Kucherov (2018-19) and Matthews (2021-22), who are each seeking their second TLA, as well as MacKinnon who is looking to receive his first award in his third season as a finalist (also 2017-18, 2019-20). Kucherov and MacKinnon were announced as finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy on Tuesday, while Matthews was recently named a finalist for the Selke Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy for the 2023-24 regular season.
Formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, the TLA is the namesake of the first president of the original Players’ Association and NHLPA pioneer, Ted Lindsay. This season marks the 53rd presentation of the only NHL award voted on by the players themselves.
The three TLA finalists received the most votes from their peers based on their 2023-24 regular- season campaigns, and are listed in alphabetical order as follows:
NIKITA KUCHEROV, Tampa Bay Lightning
Kucherov played in 81 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2023-24 regular season. The forward from Maykop, Adygea, Russia, set a single-season franchise scoring record (144 points), and won his second Art Ross Trophy (also 2018-19) after leading the NHL in scoring. Kucherov tied for the league lead in assists (100) as the fifth player in NHL history to reach the century mark, while setting a new NHL record for most assists by a winger. He factored on 50% of his team’s goals this season – the 12th time in NHL history a player has reached the mark. Kucherov tied for first in primary assists (62), finished first in power-play points (53) and ranked second in even-strength points (91). In his 11th year in the NHL, the forward set career highs in goals (44), assists, points and average time on ice (21:40). Kucherov is seeking his second TLA (2018-19) in six seasons.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov are the finalists for the 2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the player “adjudged to be the most valuable to his team” in the regular season.
McDavid and Kucherov are both previous league MVPs. MacKinnon is seeking his first Hart Trophy after being a finalist three times.
MacKinnon, 28, had 51 goals, 89 assists and 140 points, good for second in the league behind Kucherov. MacKinnon led the Avalanche in each of those categories and established new career highs. He finished 36 points higher than the next leading scorer on the team, winger Mikko Rantanen (104). His 405 shots on goal also led the NHL.
MacKinnon’s season featured two historic scoring streaks: He tallied points in 35 straight home games Oct. 19-March 26, the second-longest home points streak in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky’s 40-game record set in the 1988-89 season with the Los Angeles Kings. MacKinnon’s 19-game points streak from Feb. 13-March 26 made him the first player in NHL history to have two separate point streaks of 19 games within the same season.
He finished second for the Hart Trophy in 2018 and 2020, and third in in 2021.
McDavid, 27, is seeking his fourth Hart Trophy (2017, 2021, 2023) and is trying to become the first back-to-back MVP since Alex Ovechkin (2008-09).
His 100 assists and 132 points led Edmonton, and the latter was good for third in the league. His 32 goals were third on the team behind Zach Hyman (54) and Leon Draisaitl (41). After starting the season slowly — as the Oilers did as a team — McDavid had 122 points in 65 games after Edmonton replaced coach Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch.
Kucherov and McDavid both tallied 100 assists this season, joining Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr as the only NHL players to hit the century mark.
Kucherov’s offensive output this season eclipsed that of his MVP campaign in 2018-19. He established new career highs with 44 goals and 100 assists. His 144 points earned him the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer for the second time.
The Lightning winger led the NHL in percentage of his team’s goals on which he had a point (50%). He finished 54 points ahead of Tampa Bay’s next highest scorer Brayden Point (90 points).
Kucherov, 30, led the Lightning to the playoffs for the seventh straight season, a campaign that saw them play with a diminished supporting cast and through injuries to defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Leave a Reply