The votes are in, and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews has officially been named the winner of the 2022 Hart Trophy.
Matthews is the first Maple Leaf to take home the Hart since Ted Kennedy all the way back in 1955.
It’s hard to argue against it, either.
Not only did Matthews put together the best single-season goal total in the Maple Leafs’ century-plus history as a franchise, but he also became the first NHLer to rack up a whopping 60 goals since Steven Stamkos did so a decade ago.
Matthews was intrinsic to the Leafs’ success this season.
While the job he did cementing himself as the best goal-scorer in the game gobbled up the bulk of the headlines, Matthews’ evolution into one of the league’s top two-way players was equally commendable, giving the Maple Leafs an elite presence at both ends of the ice that they, really, have never had before.
After years of having little to cheer for, Matthews gave Leafs Nation a true superstar to build around. And now, he’s the MVP.
What a story.
