Sport Bilder des Tages April 21, 2022, Tampa, Florida, USA: Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov 86 celebrates his goal beating Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Erik Kallgren 50 during second period action at Amalie Arena on Thursday, April 21, 2022 in Tampa. Tampa USA - ZUMAs70_ 0156605613st Copyright: xDirkxShaddx
Sport Bilder des Tages April 21, 2022, Tampa, Florida, USA: Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov 86 celebrates his goal beating Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Erik Kallgren 50 during second period action at Amalie Arena on Thursday, April 21, 2022 in Tampa. Tampa USA - ZUMAs70_ 0156605613st Copyright: xDirkxShaddx
Nikita Kucherov has won his second Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. The Tampa Bay Lightning winger finished second last year, third the year before, but now he's back.
Seven years since his first win, Kucherov had another outstanding regular season. The 32-year-old scored 130 points in 76 games, with 44 goals and 86 assists.
“Thanks for this honor. Just really grateful for my teammates, coaches, my family,” Kucherov said. “This means a lot.”
Voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, Kucherov finished ahead of former winners Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. He beat Oilers captain McDavid by 10 points.
His 1.71 points per game led the NHL, while his total points ranked second only behind Connor McDavid’s 138.
He also finished with a plus-43 rating and recorded at least one point in 60 of his 76 games.
As for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kucherov again proved to be the difference maker. He finished 42 points ahead of fellow forward Jake Guentzel, leading his team's offense throughout the season.
Adding to the celebrations, the Tampa Bay Lightning organized a surprise reveal for his win.
Surprise MVP Presentation Caps Another Historic Season
Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard brought the Hart Trophy from Toronto and hid it in a dark room at the Tampa Bay Lightning practice facility.
Coach Jon Cooper was also present to surprise his prolific winger.
“One of the great things that makes ‘Kuch’ Kuch is he's never satisfied,” he said. “He could have 50 goals one year, well, he wants 51 the next year. He could have a hundred assists one year. He might want 110 the next year.”
With this win, Kucherov has built an impressive trophy cabinet. His résumé now includes two Stanley Cups, three Art Ross Trophies, two Ted Lindsay Awards, and two Hart Trophies.
“The list of players on (the Hart Trophy) is amazing,” Cooper added. “For him to be on there multiple times, pretty cool.”
However, Kucherov's individual brilliance could not carry the Lightning through the playoffs. Despite a strong regular season, Tampa Bay was unceremoniously booted out in the first round for the fourth consecutive year.
Can Kucherov replicate his numbers next season and push his team all the way?
Read more at the NHL Fan Central.
Written by
Kapil Manghnani
Edited by
Sijo Paul