Kucherov, MacKinnon, Matthews named finalists for the 2024 Ted Lindsay Award

The Ted Lindsay Award—formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award—is given to the player who is deemed the most outstanding player in the NHL based on votes from members of the NHLPA.

Kucherov was an unstoppable force during the regular season. He broke his own single-season franchise scoring record, potting 144 points in 81 games. He also became just the fifth player in NHL history to reach 100 assists, finishing tied with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for most in the league this year. Hitting the century mark in helpers also led Kucherov to set the record for most assists in a single season by a winger.

While multiple players on the Avalanche went down with injuries throughout the season, MacKinnon was the driving force behind the team’s success. Playing in every game during the regular season for the fourth time in his career, the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native scored 51 goals and 89 assists for 140 points, all career-highs.

Matthews was a goal-scoring machine once again. After a healthy 2023-24 campaign, the Maple Leafs star won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for the third time in four years after scoring 69 goals, the most goals in the history of the salary cap era. The Arizona native was also the eighth player in league history to register 51 even-strength goals in one season.

Kucherov and MacKinnon were each named finalists for the Hart Trophy, while Matthews was not.

It is the first time since the 2019-20 season that McDavid has not been named a finalist for the TLA. He has earned the honor in two of the past three seasons, and is in the running to win the Hart Trophy again.