What is the Hart Memorial Trophy?
The Hart Memorial Trophy goes to the player "adjudged to be the most valuable to his team" over the National Hockey League regular season. First presented in 1924 — donated by David Hart, father of the Montreal Canadiens' then-manager — it is the oldest individual trophy still awarded in major North American professional sport.[1] [2]
Who votes?
The Professional Hockey Writers Association, whose members cover the league's clubs day to day; ballots are cast at the end of the regular season and the finalists and winner are announced at the NHL Awards. The players' union runs its own parallel honour, the Ted Lindsay Award, voted by the players themselves — so a season can produce two different "most valuable" verdicts.[1] [3]
Who won it most recently?
Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2026 Hart Trophy — his second, after 2018–19 — with 130 points from 44 goals and 86 assists in 76 games, finishing ahead of Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon and Edmonton's Connor McDavid.[2] [4]
Why does it matter?
Because the NHL draws the best ice hockey players in the world from a dozen countries, and the Hart names one of roughly 700 under contract each season. Its century of continuous record also makes it one of the few individual honours in sport that can be read directly across eras.[1] [2]
References
- NHL — Hart Memorial Trophy winners. Accessed August 2026.
- NHL.com — Kucherov of Lightning wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. Accessed August 2026.
- Hockey Reference — Hart Memorial Trophy winners. Accessed August 2026.
- Tampa Bay Lightning — Kucherov joins short list of two-time Hart winners. Accessed August 2026.