Nikita Kucherov beat out a crowded field to win the Hart Trophy.
The Tampa Bay Lightning star was announced as the NHL's MVP on Thursday ahead of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. It is the second time in his career that Kucherov has won the Hart.
The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and the results were one of the closest ballots ever. Kucherov finished just 10 points ahead of runner-up Connor McDavid, while third-place Nathan MacKinnon received 52 first-place votes himself. The gap between first and second place was the closest since 2001-02, when Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore beat out Flames captain Jarome Iginla via a tiebreaker.
Kucherov finished second in league scoring with 130 points, including 44 goals. His 1.71 points per game were the highest in the NHL this season, and his plus-43 rating was tied for third. He had one point in 60 of his 76 games and 40 multi-point games.
He previously won the award in 2018-19 and has been a finalist in each of the past three seasons.
In total, 26 players appeared on at least one ballot. San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini placed fourth, while Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was fifth.
