Nikita Kucherov Wins Second Hart Trophy, Joins Elite NHL Company

The hockey fans who watch Tampa Bay Lightning right wing star Nikita Kucherov perform nightly may not understand him or his body language. However, the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, who vote for the National Hockey League’s best player during the regular season, certainly grasp his brilliance.

“I realize the perception (of Kucherov),” Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois said during his postseason press conference last month. “I say this all of the time, Nikita is, for people who don’t get to know him the way that we get to, he is misunderstood.

“He is a misunderstood genius.”

Kucherov added another major accomplishment to his assuredly Hall of Fame-caliber career Thursday, winning the NHL’s Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player during the regular season.

Kucherov edged fellow finalists Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers to capture the award.

The honor marks Kucherov’s second Hart Trophy, having previously won in 2019. He joins former Lightning captain Martin St. Louis, who won the award in 2004, as the only players in franchise history to earn the league’s top individual honor.

The 32-year-old (he will turn 33 next week) delivered one of the finest offensive seasons of his career in 2025-26, recording 130 points and once again serving as the driving force behind Tampa Bay’s success. 

His point total was an astounding 42 points higher than any of his teammates, highlighting his importance to the Lightning lineup.

Despite that production, Kucherov, as is his custom, is not resting on his laurels. He is already back on the ice in preparation for the 2026-27 season.

“Everything,” Kucherov said last month of his improvement list for next season. “There is not just one thing that you can be better at. 

“There are a lot of things in the game. So, you’ve got to be better.”

That may be a difficult task. 

Kucherov’s dominance became especially evident during a remarkable 50-game stretch in which he accumulated 104 points. The performance represented the most points recorded by any NHL player over a 50-game span since Pittsburgh legend Mario Lemieux accomplished the feat during the 1995-96 season.

Among league leaders, Kucherov finished first in points per game at 1.71 while ranking second in assists with 86 and second in even-strength points with 92. He also reached a major career milestone early in the season when he recorded his 1,000th NHL point in October.

With 1,086 career points entering the offseason, Kucherov now sits just 14 points behind former captain Steven Stamkos for the Lightning’s all-time franchise scoring record.

“He is a fabulous player,” BriseBois continued on Kucherov. “His standards are so high. The standards that he sets for himself are really high. The standards that the hockey world sets for him are really, really, really high.”

Kucherov’s latest Hart Trophy places him in elite company. 

He becomes just the 20th player in NHL history to win the award multiple times and joins active stars Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby as the only current players with multiple Hart Trophies. 

Kucherov is also just the fifth winger ever to earn the award more than once, joining Ovechkin, Bill Cowley, Bobby Hull, and Guy Lafleur.

“The game plan for whoever we are playing is to shut down Nikita Kucherov,” Brise Bois said.

The award has capped an historic postseason for Tampa Bay, at least from an awards won perspective. 

The Lightning claimed three of the NHL’s most prestigious individual honors, and almost a fourth.

Veteran coach Jon Cooper earned the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top coach, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy captured the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender.

Forward Anthony Cirelli finished second in voting for the Selke Trophy, which goes to the league’s top defensive forward.

A “key reason,” according to BriseBois, that Tampa Bay remains among the NHL’s contenders, is Kucherov’s extraordinary talent. 

“He’s a phenomenal player,” BriseBois said, “and a key reason that we are as competitive as we are is how good a player he is.”

The general manager indicated the organization hopes to keep the franchise cornerstone in Tampa Bay for the remainder of his career. Kucherov has one season remaining on his current contract, which carries a $9.5 million annual salary cap hit. 

“I foresee him staying in our organization for a very long time,” BriseBois said. “Hopefully until the end of his career.

“In due time, we will engage with his agent. We’ve already had some conversations about him wanting to stay, and we’d like him to stay.”

Based on BriseBois’ comments, both the player and organization appear interested in eventually reaching an agreement that would allow one of the greatest players in franchise history to finish his career with the Lightning.