What happened: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov has been named the 2025-26 Hart Memorial Trophy winner as the league's Most Valuable Player. Kucherov secured the honor after finishing the season with 130 points and leading the NHL in points per game.

Why it matters: This marks the second Hart Trophy for Nikita Kucherov, who first won the award in 2019. He narrowly defeated Connor McDavid by just 10 voting points in one of the closest races in league history, becoming the first player in

What to watch: Kucherov and the Lightning will look to carry this momentum into the 2026-27 season as they aim for another deep postseason run.