Pittsburgh Penguins Center Sidney Crosby Named NHL MVP Finalist
By Matt Gajtka
Apr 19, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center
Sidney Crosby(87) skates with the puck around Columbus Blue Jackets center
Artem Anisimov(42) during the first period in game two of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby was named a finalist for the NHL’s MVP award – a.k.a. the Hart Trophy – Thursday morning.
Crosby won the second scoring title of his career with 104 points, including a league-leading 68 assists. Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux and Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf were revealed as the other two MVP finalists.
The previous time Crosby won the scoring championship, in 2006-07, he also received the Hart Trophy from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, which again will determine the winner this year. Crosby was runner-up last season, when he was robbed of an MVP by a fluke broken jaw with 12 games to go, and in 2009-10, when he tied Steven Stamkos for the most goals in the league.
Voting by the PHWA is already complete, meaning that Crosby, Giroux and Getzlaf have finished in the top three in some order. Crosby is rumored to be the clear favorite for the award, with the Penguins’ well-documented injury woes this season boosting his MVP cause.
The Hart Trophy winner will be announced at the league’s award show June 24, which will be televised from Las Vegas on NBC Sports Network.
Crosby has six points, all assists, in six playoff games so far. He and the Penguins will begin their second-round series against the New York Rangers on Friday night at Consol Energy Center. View the entire schedule here.