The Hart Trophy is probably the most prestigious individual award in the NHL, and teams that have strong candidates for it are generally among the league’s best – something the now-second-place Flames haven’t been in quite some time.
Their ascent to a legitimate Cup contender this season has several Flames players vying for big NHL awards, and the Hart is among them. Leading the charge is none other than leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau.
The award
Named after Dr. David Hart, the father of Cecil Hart who served as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens for nine seasons in the NHL’s early days, the Hart Trophy was donated to the league in 1923.