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Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov Takes Home Ted Lindsay Award

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Harrison Smajovits | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 2:27 PM ET

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov has been recognized by his peers as the top player in the NHL during the 2024-25 season, winning the Ted Lindsay Award for the second time in his career. He beat out two Colorado Avalanche stars, forward Nathan MacKinnon (last season’s winner) and defenseman Cale Makar, to win the award.

Nikita Kucherov is your Ted Lindsay Award winner! pic.twitter.com/AkMfYP7Ysv
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 4, 2025

Kucherov is a three-time finalist for the award and was first awarded the Ted Lindsay in 2018-19. He already won the Art Ross Trophy (the third of his career) for leading the league in points in 2024-25, with 37 goals and 121 points in 78 games. He finished with 23 fewer points than he had last season (144) and still managed to leapfrog MacKinnon to win the award this time around.

Also known as the player’s MVP, the Ted Lindsay Award (originally the Lester B. Pearson Award) is awarded by the Players’ Association to the player they deem the best in the NHL each season. It’s equivalent to the Hart Memorial Trophy, given out by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. The last time the trophies were awarded to two different players was after the 2017-18 season when New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall took home the Hart while Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid took home the Ted Lindsay.

This is one of those seasons where this could happen again. MacKinnon was the Hart Trophy winner last season and was a leading candidate again this season. However, the players had a change of heart (no pun intended) for Kucherov this time around. It could be the same for the writers.

The winner of the Hart Trophy will be announced during the NHL Awards ahead of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 12. The show will air on TNT and Sportsnet before the game.