TORONTO -- Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers are finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award.
The award is presented annually to the league's most valuable player and is voted on by members of the NHL Players' Association.
The three centers are also the finalists for the Hart Trophy, the award given to the player considered most valuable to his team.
Crosby scored 36 goals and led the league in assists (68) and points (104) to capture his second career Art Ross Trophy and lead the Penguins to their second consecutive division title. Crosby won the award in 2007 and 2013 and was a finalist in 2010.
Getzlaf scored a career-high 31 goals and ranked second in the league with 87 points in leading the Ducks to the top record in the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history. He had a 14-game points streak from Nov. 15-Dec. 15 (six goals, 11 assists). No Ducks player has won the honor.
Giroux matched a career high with 28 goals and finished third in the scoring race with 86 points, helping the Flyers bounce back from a 3-9-0 start this season. He's looking to become the first Flyer to receive the award since Eric Lindros in 1995.