All-Russian slate for Hart Trophy

TORONTO, April 29 (UPI) -- Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin and Washington's Alex Ovechkin -- all Russians -- are finalists for the NHL's most valuable player award.

Ovechkin, in his fourth NHL season, is up for his second consecutive Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL player deemed most valuable to his team. The award is decided on a vote of members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The winner will be announced June 18.

Ovechkin led the NHL in goals and helped the Capitals to the second-best point total in the NHL's Eastern Conference. His 56 goals, which included 10 game-winners, were tops in the league and his 110 total points were second in the NHL.

Datsyuk, who is also a finalist for the top defensive forward Selke Trophy and could win a fourth consecutive Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship, was fifth in the league with 65 assists this season and was third in the NHL with a plus-34 rating.

Malkin, a Hart finalist last year, led the NHL with 113 points, including 78 assists. He also led the league with 94 takeaways in 2008-09.