A look at the MVP seasons of the three Colorado Avalanche players to claim the Hart Trophy in franchise history:
Joe Sakic
Colorado Avalanche’s Joe Sakic kisses the Stanley Cup as he stands over the Hart Trophy, right, and the Lady Byng Trophy after winning both at the NHL awards in Toronto Thursday June 14, 2001.
Season: 2000-01
Numbers: 118 points (54 goals/64 assists), plus-45 plus/minus, 12 game-winning goals
Note: In a season that saw the Avs claim the President’s Trophy with 118 points, Sakic led the league in plus/minus, game-winning goals, point shares (15.9) and goals created (45.9) en route to claiming the Hart, Ted Lindsay (then Pearson) and Lady Byng trophies. Sakic was both second in goals and points in the NHL and finished just behind New Jersey’s John Madden in the Selke Trophy voting. Super Joe got his revenge in the Stanley Cup Final, as the Avs beat Madden’s Devils in seven games.
Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg (21) of the Colorado Avalanche watches the puck rebound after Richard Park (18) of the Minnesota Wild lays down to block the shot in the first period during game six of the first round of the NHL playoffs on April 21, 2003 at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Denver Post file)
Season: 2002-03
Numbers: 106 points (29 goals/77 assists), plus-52 plus/minus, 1.41 points per game
Note: Despite being the only one of the three Colorado MVPs to claim the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL points leader, Forsberg was the only one of the three to not sweep the MVP awards. While the Swede took home the Hart Trophy, Vancouver winger Markus Näslund was the one who walked away with the Lindsay Award (then Pearson). Still, Forsberg finished tops in the league in assists for a team that was ultimately upset in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by Minnesota.
Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon (29) of the Colorado Avalanche prepares for a face off against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of the Avalanche’s 8-2 win at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Season: 2023-24
Numbers: 140 points (51 goals, 89 assists), plus-35 plus/minus, 405 shots on goal, 187 total goals on ice for
Breakdown: After finishing second in the Hart Trophy twice, MacKinnon finally claimed the award with a historic season that saw him establish new single-season franchise records for points, shots on goal, goals created (51.1), point shares (16.0) and total goals on ice for. In addition, he set a new franchise record with a 35-game home point streak — second longest in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky — and became the first Avs player to score four goals in a game, and he did it twice.
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