Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane won the 2015-16 Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player, the league announced Wednesday at the 2016 NHL Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Dallas Stars winger Jamie Benn and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby were the other two finalists for the award. Benn, who led the NHL in scoring in 2014-15, recorded 89 points in 82 games with Dallas to finish second behind Kane in scoring. Crosby overcame a slow start to his season to finish with 85 points in 80 games for Pittsburgh.
Kane, 27, led the league in scoring with 106 points, the most since Evgeni Malkin recorded 109 in 2011-12. He’s the first Chicago player to accomplish that feat since Stan Mikita in 1967-68.
Mikita is also the last Blackhawk to win the Hart Trophy, winning in back-to-back seasons in 1967 and 1968. Bobby Hull also won the award in consecutive seasons (1965 and 1966), while Al Rollins (1954) and Max Bentley (1946) each took home the honor once.
Kane’s 46 goals and 60 assists are NHL career-bests. He never had more than 30 goals, 59 assists or 88 points in any of his first eight NHL seasons.
The Buffalo, N.Y., native is the first U.S.-born player to score 100 points since Doug Weight of the Edmonton Oilers had 104 in 1995-96. Kane is also the first Hawks player since Jeremy Roenick had 107 in 1993-94. Kane had 40 points during a 26-game point streak from Oct. 22 to Dec. 15 that was the longest in franchise history and the longest by an U.S.-born NHL player.
Kane also won the Ted Lindsay Award as the “most outstanding player” as voted on by the NHL Players Association. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association vote on the Hart Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season.
The voting for the Hart trophy as selected by @ThePHWA pic.twitter.com/GKTd1mAOjW
— PHWA (@ThePHWA) June 23, 2016