The Ted Lindsay Award was presented to Nikita Kucherov for the second time

Nikita Kucherov recently made the headlines after winning the Ted Lindsay Award. The prestigious award is presented by the NHL Players' Association to the "most outstanding player in the NHL".

This marks the second time that the Tampa Bay Lightning star was honoured with the award, the first time being back in 2018-2019. We are taking a look at how his teammates in the Lightning surprised him with the trophy. Lightning teammates surprise Nikita Kucherov with the Ted Lindsay Award

After winning the Art Ross Trophy this year, Lightning star Nikita Kucherov was also honoured with the Ted Lindsay Award. It was not only the award that conquered the internet, but also the sweet surprise that his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates had planned for him.

They had planned to surprise him after his daily skating at their facility in Florida, however, Kucherov chose not to skate that day. Narrating the event, Victor Hedman shared, “We had to put him in the sauna for 25 minutes and the cold tub and prolong it so everyone could make it in time.” At the same time, the entire team was preparing a surprise in a room in the facility. They all came together to surprise him with the Ted Lindsay Award, and the trophy was presented by Hedman.

He also added, “It was a great feeling to see how surprised he was.” Thanking his teammates, Kucherov conveyed, “It really means a lot to me.

”This season, Kucherov has delivered a power-packed performance with 121 points that include 37 goals and 84 assists in 78 games. Additionally, the 31-year-old has topped the NHL with 46 power-play points that include 8 goals and 38 assists. For the past three seasons, he has topped 110 points.

His achievements also won him the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL. In a social media post made on X, the NHLPA wrote, "Congratulations to Nikita Kucherov, who takes home his second career #TedLindsayAward with the players’ vote. The @TBLightning forward led the NHL in points, assists, primary assists and power-play points this season."Also Read: Is Nikita Kucherov the "Dark Horse" in MVP race? PK Subban thinks so Along with Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar were also the other finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award. However, the NHL Players Association voted him as the deserving candidate this season. Last year, the prestige was bestowed upon Nathan MacKinnon.