Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy on Friday.
Lundqvist joins Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Lightning center Steven Stamkos as the finalists for the NHL’s Most Valuable Player award.
“It’s amazing,” Lundqvist said. “I’m not used to getting awards.”
Lundqvist, who led the Rangers to a first place finish in the Eastern Conference, becomes the first goalie to finish in the top three in league MVP voting since 2006-07.
The Rangers netminder recorded 39 wins with a .930 save percentage and eight shutouts.
“I think it’s fantastic,” coach John Tortorella said. “I’m not too interested in talking too much about the awards, but for this guy here and what he’s done for the hockey club, he belongs there.”
Malkin, the favorite to win the award, led the NHL with 109 points this season, scoring 50 goals with 59 assists.
The Penguins center has now been named a finalist for the Hart Trophy three times in his six-year career. He finished second in the voting in 2008 and 2009.
Stamkos entered the season with a new five-year, $37.5 million deal and scored a league-leading 60 goals, becoming the 20th player to reach the mark in NHL history.
The 22-year-old center added 37 assists to finish the season second behind Malkin with 97 points.
Stamkos’ stellar effort was not enough to get Tampa Bay into the playoffs, however, as the Lightning finished eight points out of the final spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jose Theodore was the last goaltender to win the Hart, for the Canadiens in 2002.
With Brett Cyrgalis