Connor McDavid was named the NHL’s Hart Trophy winner on Tuesday as the “player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.” McDavid posted a ridiculous 105 points in the pandemic-shortened, 56-game season, scoring 33 goals and tallying 72 assists.
It’s the second time the shifty and speedy Edmonton Oilers center has won the NHL’s MVP award. He previously won the Hart in 2017 after hitting the century mark in points (100) in his second season pro.
But the biggest takeaway is that voting for McDavid was unanimous – a rare feat that neither Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin have achieved. McDavid received all 100 first-place votes on all 100 ballots despite a strong season from Auston Matthews who lead the league in goals (41, Rocket Richard winner).
2020-21 Hart Trophy Voting
| Rank | Player | Points | (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Connor McDavid, EDM | 1000 | (100-0-0-0-0) |
| 2. | Auston Matthews, TOR | 600 | (0-69-19-6-4) |
| 3. | Nathan MacKinnon, COL | 313 | (0-6-40-19-14) |
| 4. | Sidney Crosby, PIT | 223 | (0-11-13-20-21) |
| 5. | Brad Marchand, BOS | 134 | (0-6-5-16-19) |
| 6. | Aleksander Barkov, FLA | 125 | (0-3-8-18-10) |
| 7. | Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL | 57 | (0-2-2-8-9) |
| 8. | Leon Draisaitl, EDM | 44 | (0-2-3-3-6) |
| 9. | Mark Stone, VGK | 39 | (0-0-4-4-7) |
| 10. | Mikko Rantanen, COL | 15 | (0-1-1-1-0) |
| 11. | Juuse Saros, NSH | 14 | (0-0-1-2-3) |
| 12. | Cale Makar, COL | 10 | (0-0-2-0-0) |
| t-13. | Adam Fox, NYR | 5 | (0-0-1-0-0) |
| Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA | 5 | (0-0-1-0-0) | |
| t-15. | Patrick Kane, CHI | 4 | (0-0-0-1-1) |
| Kirill Kaprizov, MIN | 4 | (0-0-0-1-1) | |
| 17. | Sebastian Aho, CAR | 3 | (0-0-0-1-0) |
| 18. | Ryan O’Reilly, STL | 2 | (0-0-0-0-2) |
| t-19. | Connor Hellebuyck, WPG | 1 | (0-0-0-0-1) |
| Mitchell Marner, TOR | 1 | (0-0-0-0-1) | |
| David Pastrnak, BOS | 1 | (0-0-0-0-1) |
* Points allocation: 10-7-5-3-1 (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th)
“It was a special season to be feeling so good and be able to stay healthy and play at a high level,” McDavid said ho-humly to the media on Wednesday. “It was definitely lots of fun.”
According to the NHL, McDavid is just the second unanimous Hart Trophy winner in the 97-year history of the award, which was first presented in 1923-24. The only other player to do so is Wayne Gretzky in 1982, who was voted first by all 63 voters following his ridiculous 92-goal, 212-point season.
“It’s just special to win the award,” McDavid said when asked about receiving all the first-place votes. “I’ve been able to do it twice now and equally sweet I’d say. I guess maybe it’s just a little feather in the cap to do it unanimously I’d say. Anytime you’re in the same breath as Wayne Gretzky, you’re obviously doing something right. I appreciate the writers feeling that way.”
In terms of the four major sports, McDavid is just the fifth unanimous league-wide MVP ever (of leagues that vote for only one MVP) and the 23rd when considering all unanimous AL and NL MVP award winners from Major League Baseball.
NBA
Steph Curry is the only player in NBA history to win the MVP award unanimously after averaging 30.1 points during the 2015-16 season. There are also two players who have fallen one vote shy: the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal (29.7ppg, 13.6 rpg) during the 1999-00 season and Miami’s LeBron James (26.8 ppg, 8.0rbg, 7.3apg) during the 2012-13 season. They received 120 of 121 votes.
NFL
Tom Brady might have failed to win the Super Bowl in 2010 after leading the New England Patriots to a 14-2 record, but after throwing for 3,900 yards, a league-leading 36 touchdowns, and only four interceptions, the quarterback was named the first unanimous MVP in NFL history. Brady also fell one vote shy of being unanimous when he won his first MVP award in 2007. Brett Favre got the other vote.
Nine years later, fellow QB Lamar Jackson became the second player to do so after proving to be an unstoppable double threat both in the air and on the ground for the Baltimore Ravens. Jackson threw for 3,127 yards and a league-high 36 touchdowns. He also rushed for a QB record 1,206 yards (sixth overall in the league), breaking Michael Vick’s previous record of 1,039 yards, and seven touchdowns.
The NFL’s MVP award has been awarded since 1957.
MLB
In Major League Baseball, there have been 18 unanimous winners across the two leagues, the American League and National League, since voting for the award began in 1931. Locally, Bryce Harper (Nationals) and Frank Robinson (Orioles) are the only two players to achieve the feqt.
Bryce Harper, 2015 NL MVP, Washington Nationals
Mike Trout, 2014 AL MVP, Los Angeles Angels
Albert Pujols, 2009 NL MVP, St. Louis Cardinals
Barry Bonds, 2002 NHL MVP, San Francisco Giants
Ken Griffey Jr., 1997 AL MVP, Seattle Mariners
Ken Caminiti, 1996 NL MVP, San Diego Padres
Jeff Bagwell, 1994 NL MVP, Houston Astros
Frank Thomas, 1992 AL MVP, Chicago White Sox
Jose Canseco, 1988 AL MVP, Oakland Athletics
Mike Schmidt, 1980 NL MVP, Philadelphia Phillies
Reggie Jackson, 1973 AL MVP, Oakland Athletics
Denny McLain, 1968 AL MVP, Detroit Tigers
Orlando Cepeda, 1967 NL MVP, St. Louis Cardinals
Frank Robinson, 1966 AL MVP, Baltimore Orioles
Mickey Mantle, 1956 AL MVP, New York Yankees
Al Rosen, 1953 AL MVP, Cleveland Indians
Carl Hubbell, 1936 NL MVP, New York Giants
Hank Greenberg, 1935 AL MVP, Detroit Tigers
