Toronto, ON (My Sportsbook) - Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Ovechkin, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and center Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings were named finalists for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player.

Ovechkin, 23, is seeking his second straight Hart Trophy, as he captured the coveted award for the 2007-08 season, while Malkin, 22, was the runner up to Ovechkin last season and is hoping for his first Hart after leading the league in scoring for 2008-09. Datsyuk, 30, is nominated for the trophy for the first time in his career.

It is the first time in the history of the trophy that all three finalists are Russian.

Ovechkin is seeking to become the first repeat Hart winner since Dominik Hasek captured back-to-back awards for the 1996-97 and '97-98 seasons. He captured the Rocket Richard Trophy by leading the NHL with 56 goals and finished with 110 points overall, second only to Malkin.

Malkin captured the Art Ross Trophy for the scoring champion as he finished the campaign with 113 points and also led the league with 78 assists. He was also tops in the league with 94 takeaways and was a plus-17 on the season.

Datsyuk finished the season with 32 goals and 65 assists for 97 points, good for fourth overall in the league. He is also nominated for his second straight Frank J. Selke Trophy and fourth straight Lady Byng Trophy. His Red Wings are hoping to capture their second straight Stanley Cup title.

The winner will be announced during the NHL's season-ending awards ceremony on June 18 in Las Vegas.