The announcement of Nikita Kucherov as the 2025–26 Hart Memorial Trophy winner has ignited one of the NHL’s most heated MVP debates in years.
The final voting results show just how close the race really was. Kucherov narrowly defeated Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid by only 10 voting points (1,436 to 1,426) and four first-place votes, while Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon finished close behind in third. It was the third-tightest Hart Trophy race in the last three decades under the current voting system.
Nikita Kucherov’s MVP Victory Vs. Connor McDavid Draws Mixed Reactions
Kucherov put together a spectacular season, piling up 130 points in just 76 games while leading the league with an impressive 1.71 points per game. He also carried a significant share of Tampa Bay’s offense, finishing 42 points ahead of his nearest teammate, Jake Guentzel, who had 88.
At the same time, McDavid made an equally compelling case for the award. The Oilers captain led the NHL with 138 points in 82 games, eight more than Kucherov, and was widely viewed as the driving force behind Edmonton’s playoff push. He also captured the Ted Lindsay Award, which is voted on by NHL players and recognizes the league’s most outstanding player.
With both superstars posting MVP-worthy seasons, the result quickly sparked debate across the hockey world.
Sports anchor and reporter Romi Bean questioned some of the ballots, expressing surprise that both McDavid and MacKinnon were left off the top spots on certain voting lists. “Yeah, so I need to know who’s giving MacKinnon and McDavid 5th place votes.”
Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe, who voted for McDavid, made it clear that his support for the Oilers captain wasn’t meant as a slight toward Kucherov. “I voted for McDavid. No issue with Kucherov winning it. He was brilliant all season. I just think Edmonton was legitimately a terrible team without McDavid. Kuch was surrounded by a bunch of stars, the Coach of the Year, and the Vezina winner,” Yohe said.
The Athletic’s senior writer James Mirtle shared a similar view. While he acknowledged that Kucherov had a strong case and that the race was extremely close, he still believed McDavid was the NHL’s most valuable player this season.
“I thought McDavid should have won again. But one of the closest votes ever for a reason,” Mirtle noted, before revealing his ballot: 1] Connor McDavid, Edmonton. 2] Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado. 3] Macklin Celebrini, San Jose. 4] Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay. 5] Zach Werenski, Columbus.
Ultimately, with all three finalists capturing at least 25% of the first-place votes for the first time since 1995-96, there was no wrong answer. But because the margin was so historically small, the debate will likely rage on until the offseason.
