Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has been named the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Matthews, who earned this season’s Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer, posted career highs with 60 goals and 46 assists. He became the 21st different player in NHL history — and first in a decade — to register 60 goals in a season.
Ted Kennedy, in 1955, was the last Maple Leaf to win the award.
The other nominees were Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers.
Straight from the Hart ? pic.twitter.com/vH4O4Gms2h
The Ted Lindsay Award, for the NHL’s most outstanding player during the regular season, also went to Matthews.
Matthews is one of the best natural goal scorers in the game and improved defensively, adding more of a physical element to his game this season.
The other nominees were McDavid and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators.
Seider claims Calder Trophy
Earlier, the Calder Memorial Trophy, for rookie of the year, was presented to defenseman Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings.
The other nominees were forward Michael Bunting of the Toronto Maple Leafs and center Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks.
Shesterkin earns Vezina
The Vezina Trophy, for top goaltender, was presented to Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers.
He recorded the seventh-best save percentage among all NHL goaltenders since the statistic was first officially recorded in 1955-56 (minimum 25 games played) and became the second Rangers netminder to top the save percentage chart, following Gump Worsley in 1957-58.
Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames and Juuse Saras of the Nashville Predators were the other nominees.
