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Crosby, St. Louis, Ovechkin named Ted Lindsay Award finalists

Pittsburgh Penguins v Philadelphia Flyers - Game Six

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 22: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates toward his bench late in the third period with his team losing 5-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on April 22, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Flyers won the game 5-1 to eliminate the Penguins from the playoffs. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

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The NHLPA has announced that Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis, and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin are this year’s Ted Lindsay Award nominees.

This award (previously known as the Lester B. Pearson Award) goes to the “most outstanding player” as voted on by their peers. The emphasis is on outstanding, while the Hart Memorial Trophy goes to the most valuable player.

Crosby would have been the run away winner for this award, but his season ended abruptly when he took a puck to the face and suffered a broken jaw. All the same, he tied for third in the league with 56 points in just 36 games. It’s not a factor for this award, but he has of course returned in the playoffs, posting six points in three games versus the Islanders. He previously claimed this award back in 2007.

At 37 years old, St. Louis became the oldest winner of the Art Ross Trophy with 60 points in just 48 games. He’s one of those rare players that just seems to be getting better with age, although obviously getting playing time with Steven Stamkos hasn’t hurt.

Ovechkin got off to a sluggish start this season, but finished 2013 with an incredible 22 goals in his last 21 games. That propelled him to win his third Rocket Richard Trophy with 32 goals and 48 games. It’s also one of the main reasons Washington was able to shake of its bad start to the season and win the Southeast Division.

Ovechkin has already won this award three times. Wayne Gretzky won a record five times, while Mario Lemieux claimed it four times.

One notable player that didn’t make the cut is Stamkos, who had the mirror image season of Ovechkin. Stamkos scored an incredible 25 goals in his first 34 games, but fizzled out in the final month of the season. His team collapsed along with him and they missed the playoffs, but Stamkos still gave them 29 goals and 28 assists in 48 games this season.