The Tampa Bay Lightning said Nikita Kucherov was selected as a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the third straight season.Kucherov was named a finalist along with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Edmonton Oilers center Conner McDavid.Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association vote to select the finalists for the league's most valuable player.The Bolts right winger finished the season second in the NHL with 130 points (44-86-130) in the 2025-26 season.Kucherov was a finalist for the award in 2024-25, runner-up in 2023-24 and won the award in 2018-19.He is also a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is presented to "the Most Outstanding Player in the NHL" and voted on by NHLPA members, consisting of other players across the league. ...read more read less