Nathan MacKinnon Named Hart Trophy Finalist

Can MacKinnon finally win the NHL's MVP in 2024?

In news that will shock absolutely no one: the NHL released the three players selected as finalists for this year’s Hart Memorial Trophy as the regular season’s most valuable player.

Mack was second in the league in scoring with 140 points, behind only Nikita Kucherov (144). That final scoring total was an Avalanche/Nordiques all-time mark, eclipsing the legendary Peter Stastny’s previous record by a single point. It also marked just the fifth 140-point season by any NHL player in the last 30 years.

In doing so, MacKinnon re-wrote all his own previous career highs across the board. The 2023-24 season was his first 50-goal season, finishing the year with 51. His 89 assists are the second most in franchise history behind Stastny’s 93 in 1981-82. MacKinnon scored a point in a League-high 69 games this season, finishing on the scoresheet in 84.1% of Colorado’s contests. His 92 points at even strength and 44 multi-point games were also the best marks by an NHLer this season as were his 405 shots on goal. 

In addition to his 5-on-5 prowess, MacKinnon was also the second-best offensive player while on the power play with 48 points and 38 assists.