Draisaitl, Hellebuyck, Kucherov named 2025 Hart Trophy finalists

The National Hockey League announced Thursday that Edmonton Oilers’ forward Leon Draisaitl, Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov were named finalists for the Hart Trophy in its 2024-25 season.

Draisaitl, 29, finished the season with a league-leading 52 goals and 54 assists for 106 points. It was his fourth-consecutive 100-point season and the sixth of his career. Draisaitl won the Hart Trophy after the 2019-20 campaign.

The 31-year-old Hellebuyck went 47-12-3 with a career-high .925 save percentage (SV%), as well as a 2.00 goals against average (GAA). This is his first Hart Trophy nomination, but he has previously won the Vezina Trophy twice.

Meanwhile, Kucherov, 31, finished the year with 37 goals and led the league in both assists and points with 84 and 121, respectively. This is the third time he has led the league in both assists and points. He won the Hart Trophy following the 2018-19 season, and this is the third time he’s been nominated.

The announcement comes one day after the NHLPA announced that Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar were named the finalists for the 2024-25 Ted Lindsay Award.

Unless Kucherov wins both, it will be the first time since 2017-18 that the Hart Trophy winner didn’t also win the Ted Lindsay Award.