WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin has been named one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL1s most valuable player.

Ovechkin, 22, is on the short list alongside Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, a fellow Russian, and Calgary Flames right wing Jarome Iginla, the league announced Tuesday.

Ovechkin is the favorite to win the Hart, which will be announced at the NHL Awards ceremonies on June 12 in Toronto. In just his third season in the league, Ovechkin recorded a franchise-record with 65 goals and added 47 assists to earn the Maurice Richard (most goals) and Art Ross (most points) trophies. His goal total was also the most in NHL history by a left wing. No NHL player had topped 60 goals since Pittsburgh1s Mario Lemieux and Jaromir

Jagr both did so in 1995-96.

Ovechkin helped the Caps to a 43-31-8 record and a late-season push to win the Southeast Division title. They qualified for the playoffs by winning their regular-season finale to cap a string of 11 victories in their last 12 games. Washington was eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last week by the Philadelphia Flyers in a dramatic seven-game series.

No Caps player has won the Hart Trophy. Only one other Russian — Ovechkin’s teammate Sergei Fedorov — has accomplished that feat. Fedorov, acquired by the Caps in a Feb. 26 trade-deadline deal, won it in 1994 with the Detroit Red Wings.

Ovechkin is currently in Quebec City, one of two sites for this years Worlds Championships, where he hopes to lead Russia to its first gold medal since 1993. He was not cleared to play until Tuesday afternoon when his 13-year, $124 million contract was insured by the Russian Hockey Federation. Ovechkin is one of eight Caps players participating in the event.