Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs did not make the cut for the Hart Memorial Trophy on Tuesday (May 7) but was named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award on Wednesday (May 8). The competition for the NHL’s top awards was fierce in 2023-24, with several worthy candidates, so there were bound to be some head-scratching omissions. Despite being among the snubs for the Hart Trophy, Matthews’ inclusion in the Ted Lindsay Award chase, with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon, is much more significant than a mere consolation prize.
Matthews Gains Recognition From His Peers
The Ted Lindsay Award is presented annually to the NHL’s most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by members of the NHL Players Association (NHLPA). Matthews won the award and the Hart Trophy following the 2021-22 campaign. He registered 60 goals and 106 points in 73 games that season. During his acceptance speech, he said: “I can’t tell you guys enough how humbling it is to win this award named after the late Ted Lindsay. … It just means a lot to be recognized by my fellow peers and the guys I compete against every single night.”
Scoring at the incredible rate he has since entering the league is a remarkable achievement. Since his rookie campaign in 2016-17, he has netted an impressive 368 goals in 562 contests. The 26-year-old centre has registered 30-plus goals in every one of his first eight seasons. He established a career-high 69 markers in 2023-24, winning his third Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. Matthews has captured the NHL’s goal-scoring title in three of the past four seasons.
The last player to score 69 goals in a single season was Pittsburgh Penguins great Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. Matthews also became the new leader among active NHL players for goals in a single campaign, surpassing Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin’s total of 65 from 2007-08. The players know how difficult scoring can be, so Matthews being recognized for his accomplishments is the ultimate display of respect.
Matthews’ Hart Trophy Snub Wasn’t That Surprising
The three finalists for the Hart Trophy were Kucherov, MacKinnon, and Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid. They are all tremendously qualified to win the award, which goes annually to the NHL player voted most valuable to his team by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Kucherov and McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Lemieux as the only players to collect 100 assists in a season. The 30-year-old Kucherov also claimed his second Art Ross Trophy after topping the league with 144 points. MacKinnon supplied new personal bests in 2023-24 with 51 goals, 89 helpers, and 140 points across 82 outings. He was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy in 2017-18 and 2019-20 while finishing third in voting following the 2021-22 campaign.
New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, Vancouver Canucks defender Quinn Hughes, and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck could all have been worthy finalists following their outstanding seasons. In such a hotly-contested race for the Hart Trophy, whoever was left out of the top three was bound to spark headlines.
Why Wasn’t Matthews a Hart Trophy Finalist?
Matthews, who also has been named a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy and the Frank J. Selke Trophy, is the first Richard Trophy winner to be voted a Selke finalist in the same season. His blend of abilities, which includes an uncanny talent to find the back of the net, built a compelling case for him to be in the Hart Trophy conversation. Unfortunately, he didn’t come close to producing the same amount of points as the other finalists because his assist total was severely lacking by comparison.
Still, that would be an odd thing to penalize him for, considering he generally plays alongside pass-first-oriented players like Mitch Marner and Max Domi for most of the season. Matthews has typically been the triggerman of the Maple Leafs’ set pieces, and he’s been very accomplished in that role. He didn’t see nearly as much time with 40-goal scorer William Nylander as Kucherov did with 46-goal scorer Brayden Point and 40-goal producer Steven Stamkos or McDavid with 54-goal generator Zach Hyman and 41-goal getter Leon Draisaitl or MacKinnon with 42-goal man Mikko Rantanen. That isn’t meant to discredit what Kucherov, McDavid, and MacKinnon were able to accomplish. Their playmaking aptitude is among the best in the league. Matthews has shown flashes of that but hasn’t played enough with a linemate capable of capitalizing on the chances he creates.
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Ultimately, coming up one goal shy of 70 may have been what cost him a finalist spot more than not getting enough assists. In any event, there is reason to support the idea of modifying the voting process. Joshua Kloke of The Athletic mentioned utilizing a system similar to that of Major League Soccer (MLS), which determines a league MVP based on votes by the media, MLS players, and club management. Does that diminish the value of winning the Ted Lindsay Award? There is an argument to be made that both trophies could coexist even if players were included in Hart voting. The Hart Trophy still goes to the NHL player voted most valuable to his team, while the Ted Lindsay Award is given to the most outstanding player. There would be some overlap among the finalists, but that has typically been the case between the two awards anyway. The only change would be creating a more balanced voting procedure.
Matthews and Fans Should Not Feel Slighted
Matthews likely wasn’t concerned about which individual award he was a finalist for after another heartbreaking early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Still, he probably will be able to look back fondly on being a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award for the second time in four seasons, especially if he wins again. “It means a lot to be recognized by the other guys in the league, my fellow peers,” said Matthews after earning the award in 2022. “There’s so many great players playing in the NHL today so it just means a lot.”
What he accomplished in 2023-24 was still phenomenal even though he came up short in his bid to hit the 70-goal plateau. Matthews should be more than satisfied with being counted among the league’s best by his peers. There were several worthy candidates for the 2024 Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. The NHL having a deeper top-end talent pool is great for the league and consequently better for all hockey fans.
