Its awards season! The NHL has kicked off its annual tradition of announcing the finalists for their major awards, and first up is the Ted Lindsay Award, earned by the player who was most valuable to his team as decided by the NHLPA. It differs from the Hart Memorial Trophy as that trophy is determined by the PWHL. By its very nature, the award is looked at as who the actual players believe is the MVP of the season. Yet, it doesn’t seem to carry the gravitas of the Hart. In the history of the trophy, the same player has won the Hart and the Lindsay in the same season.
Nikita Kucherov is looking to repeat after he took home the Lindsay (but was denied the Hart) last season. This marks the fourth time Kucherov has been nominated for the award (2026, 2025, 2024, 2019) and he’s seeking his third win (2019 was his first). Should he see his name etched on the trophy this year, he’ll join Alex Ovechkin as the only three-time winner that was born in Russia. Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader with five Lindsay Awards.
Kucherov finished the 2025-26 season with 130 points, second to Connor McDavid in the league. His 44 goals were eighth in the league while his 86 assists were second (also to McDavid). He did top McDavid in PPG with 1.71. There was a 42-point difference between Kucherov and the next highest-scoring member of the Lightning – Jake Guentzel (88 points).
Last season, the league changed up the way they announced the winners, giving teams the option of surprising the recipients, which the Lightning took full advantage of.
McDavid is also a finalist this year and the two veterans will be joined by Macklin Celebrini.
The rest of the award announcements are scheduled to be released over the next few days:
Wednesday, April 29
Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)
Thursday, April 30
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Sportsmanship and Gentlemanly Conduct)
Friday, May 1
Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year)
Monday, May 4
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance, Sportsmanship and Dedication)
Tuesday, May 5
Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
Wednesday, May 6
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Thursday, May 7
James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Friday, May 8
Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP of Regular Season)
Monday, May 11
Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award (Impact on Community, Culture or Society)
