Ovechkin named NHL's MVP

LAS VEGAS, June 18 (UPI) -- Washington forward Alexander Ovechkin won both the Hart Trophy and the Pearson Award Thursday at the NHL's annual post-season banquet.

Ovechkin became the 14th player to win both the awards in the same year. The Hart Trophy goes to the league MVP as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and the Pearson Award, voted on by players, is handed out to the person defined as the NHL's "most outstanding player."

Ovechkin, 23, finished the 2008-09 season with 110 points (56 goals, 54 assists) and finished three points behind Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin for the scoring title.

Malkin and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk were finalists for the Hart Trophy, the first time in NHL history all three finalists were Russian players. Datsyuk received the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) for the fourth straight year as well as the Frank J. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward).

In addition to finishing fourth in scoring with 97 points, Datsyuk was second in the league with 89 takeaways and third in plus-minus with a rating of plus-34. He won 56 percent of his faceoffs.

Tim Thomas of Boston captured the Vezina Trophy, which goes to the NHL's top goaltender. He and teammate Manny Fernandez shared the Jennings Trophy, given to the netminder who allows the fewest goals in the regular season. They combined to give the Bruins the best goals-against average in the league at 2.32 per game.

Boston's Zdeno Chara received the Norris Trophy (top defenseman), Columbus goaltender Steve Mason picked up the Calder Trophy (top rookie) and Boston's Claude Julien was the recipient of the Jack Adams Award (coach of the year).

Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh was shut out of the individual awards.