Center Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche is the 2023-24 recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy, presented “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The 28-year-old MacKinnon – a Hart Trophy finalist for the fourth time after finishing third in voting in 2020-21, second in 2019-20 and second in 2017-18 – joins Peter Forsberg (2002-03) and Joe Sakic (2000-01) as the third player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to win the award.

MacKinnon received 137 first-place votes and was a top-two selection on 184 of 194 ballots in collecting 1,740 voting points to outdistance second-place Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning (50 first-place votes, 1,269 points). Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (845 points) edged Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs (756) in a tight race for third place.

MacKinnon ranked second in the NHL and established a franchise record with 51-89—140 (82 GP) – just the fifth 140-point campaign over the past 30 years – to guide the Avalanche to their seventh straight playoff appearance. He set career highs in goals and assists, becoming the sixth different player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to produce a 50-goal season and trailing only Peter Stastny (93 in 1981-82) for the franchise’s most helpers in a single campaign.

MacKinnon, who found the scoresheet in a League-high 69 appearances (84.1%), also set personal bests and ranked among the 2023-24 leaders in even-strength points (1st; 92), multi-point games (1st; 44), shots on goal (1st; 405), power-play assists (2nd; 38), power-play points (2nd; 48) and plus/minus (t‑6th; +35). His totals were aided by a 35-game point streak at Ball Arena to begin the season (Oct. 19 – March 26: 29-48—77), the second-longest home scoring streak in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky’s unblemished 1988-89 home campaign (33-70—103 in 40 GP w/ LAK).

MacKinnon additionally became the first player in League history to record two separate overall point streaks of at least 19 contests within the same season, doing so Nov. 20 – Dec. 27 (13-23—36 in 19 GP) and Feb. 13 – March 26 (13-25—38 in 19 GP).

Photo/NHL PR

— NHL PR

(June 27, 2024)