The Art Ross Trophy was pretty much decided as the NHL's 2019-20 season wound down.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was running away in the points-scoring race with 110 points in 71 games. While he was held scoreless in the last three games before the season was paused, the German center had 13 points in the Oilers' last 10 games — including five points (four goals, assist) against the Predators on March 2.
Now there's a strong chance the regular season will not play out as talks have reportedly centered around heading to a 20-24 team postseason resumption.
So where does everything stand if the regular season is officially done? Thus far, there's been no word as to how things will unfold. But until then, here's everything you need to know on the prestigious trophy.
What is the Art Ross Trophy?
Since the 1947-48 season, the Art Ross Trophy is given to the player that leads the league in points at the end of the regular season.
Awarded 70 times, trophy winners include a who's who of hockey's elite; Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita, Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur, Jarome Iginla, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid are among the current and future Hall of Famers who have won the award.
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Who are the 2020 leading candidates?
The Oilers' Leon Draisaitl was dominating in 2019-20 and was on pace for 127 points before the season was paused. He finished the 2018-19 season in fourth with 105 points (50 goals, 50 assists), trailing Nikita Kucherov (128), teammate Connor McDavid (116) and Patrick Kane (110).
| TEAM | PLAYER | GP | POINTS | PROJ. PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | Leon Draisaitl | 71 | 110 | 127 |
| Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid | 64 | 97 | 114 |
| New York Rangers | Artemiy Panarin | 69 | 95 | 112 |
| Boston Bruins | David Pastrnak | 70 | 95 | 111 |
| Colorado Avalanche | Nathan MacKinnon | 69 | 93 | 109 |
| Boston Bruins | Brad Marchand | 70 | 87 | 102 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Nikita Kucherov | 68 | 85 | 100 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Patrick Kane | 70 | 84 | 98 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Auston Matthews | 70 | 80 | 94 |
| Buffalo Sabres | Jack Eichel | 68 | 78 | 93 |
| Florida Panthers | Jonathan Huberdeau | 69 | 78 | 93 |
Who has won the most Art Ross Trophies?
The NHL's all-time leading scorer, Wayne Gretzky, has also won the award a record 10 times — including seven consecutive seasons from 1980-81 to 1986-87. In fact, from 1981 to 2001, only the name Gretzky, Mario Lemieux or Jaromir Jagr won the award.
Gretzky also holds the record for most points in a single season with 215 (52 goals, 163 assists), which he netted during the 1985-86 season.
| PLAYER | NO. OF TROPHIES |
|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 10 |
| Gordie Howe | 6 |
| Mario Lemieux | 6 |
| Phil Esposito | 5 |
| Jaromir Jagr | 5 |
| Stan Mikita | 4 |
GRETZKY: By the numbers | His last game
Who has won the Art Ross Trophy?
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner. His 128 points last season were the most all-time in a single season by a Russian-born player. Alexander Mogilny held the previous record of 127 in 1992-93; however, he lost the Art Ross Trophy to Lemieux's 161 points.
Last 10 Art Ross Trophy winners
| SEASON | TEAM | PLAYER | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Nikita Kucherov | 128 |
| 2017-18 | Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid | 108 |
| 2016-17 | Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid | 100 |
| 2015-16 | Chicago Blackhawks | Patrick Kane | 106 |
| 2014-15 | Dallas Stars | Jamie Benn | 87 |
| 2013-14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Sidney Crosby | 104 |
| 2012-13 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Martin St. Louis | 60 |
| 2011-12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Evgeni Malkin | 109 |
| 2010-11 | Vancouver Canucks | Daniel Sedin | 104 |
| 2009-10 | Vancouver Canucks | Henrik Sedin | 112 |