Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Toronto’s Auston Matthews and New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin were named finalists for the 2021-22 Hart Trophy on Thursday.

The trophy is given to the player voted to be most valuable to his team.

All three players are still alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with their respective teams.

This season’s Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner as the league’s leading goal-scorer, Matthews, 24, posted a career-high 106 points (60 goals, 46 assists) in 73 games. He became the 21st different player in NHL history — first in a decade — to register 60 goals in a season. Matthews was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy last season.

McDavid, 25, is the reigning Hart winner and also won it in 2017. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer with 123 points (44 goals, 79 assists). He is vying to become the ninth player in NHL history to take home the award at least three times — and just the third to do so before turning 26 — after Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Shesterkin, 26, is looking to become the first goalie to win since Carey Price in 2015. Shesterkin had a 36-13-4 record, a 2.07 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and six shutouts. He led the NHL in both GAA and save percentage, and posted the seventh-highest save percentage in league history. He’s also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.

–Field Level Media