NEW YORK — A trio of Russians will battle for the honour of being named most valuable player in the National Hockey League.
Goal-scoring sensation Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, playmaker Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the versatile Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings were named as finalists for the Hart Trophy on Wednesday.
Ovechkin can become the first repeat winner of the Hart since Dominik Hasek in 1997 and 1998 and the first forward to do it since Wayne Gretzky won the Hart Trophy eighth straight times from 1980 to 1987.