Only four Russian-born players, including Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, have won the Hart Trophy. Who are the others?
The Hart Trophy was first awarded after the 1923-24 season. In 100 years, only four Russian-born superstars have been voted the Most Valuable Player in the NHL.
Considering that Canadian-born skaters comprise most of the league's demographics, two American-born players won the Hart Trophy in 1925 and 1991 before Sergei Fedorov secured the first European-born victory in 1994.
Since then, three other Russian players have won the Hart Trophy, including Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin. Here's a list of those who achieved the highest honor in the world's top hockey league.
Sergei Fedorov (1991)
As mentioned, Fedorov became the first European-born and trained player to win the Hart Trophy in 1994. Born in Pskov, Russia, he defected to the Detroit Red Wings in 1990 at 21.
During the 1993-94 season, Fedorov scored 56 goals and 120 points, including a league-leading 39 even-strength goals. He was also plus-48, winning the Lester B. Pearson Award and the Frank J. Selke Trophy.
Alex Ovechkin (2008, 2009, 2013)
Alex Ovechkin was the second Russian-born player selected first overall at the Entry Draft and has become arguably the country's greatest export.
In 2008, at just 22 years old, he won the first back-to-back Hart Trophies with a league-leading 65 goals and 112 points. The following season, he netted 56 goals to lead the league in that category in consecutive seasons.
During these two seasons, he won the Pearson and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies and claimed his first and only Art Ross Trophy in 2008.
Four years later, during the 2012-13 season, Ovechkin claimed his third Hart Trophy with a league-high 32 goals in 48 games, including 16 power play goals. He won this third of nine Richard Trophies that year.
Evgeni Malkin (2012)
By the time Malkin won the Hart Trophy in 2012, he already won a a Calder (2007), a Stanley Cup (2009), a Conn Smythe, and an Art Ross (2009).
Although he only played 75 games in 2011-12, Malkin tallied 50 goals, leading the league in points (109) and shots on goal (339).
To say he had a magical season is an understatement since it remains the only time he netted 50 goals in his career, the last time he reached 100 points, and the last time he won any awards outside of two more championships in 2016 and 2017.
Nikita Kucherov (2019)
In 2019, Nikita Kucherov had a breakout campaign. He led the NHL with 87 assists and 128 points to win the Hart, Pearson, and Art Ross. His 28-point increase from 2018 came thanks to remaining fully healthy for the first time in five years.
Thanks to 128 points, he broke Alexander Mogilny's record of 127 points, the most by a Russian player in history. However, Kucherov's best was yet to come as he shattered his own milestone with 144 points in 2023-24 to finish second in the Hart Trophy voting.
Will any of these veterans win another Hart Trophy before retiring, or will someone like Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin, or Kirill Kaprizov take up the mantle?