The nominees are Sebastian Aho, F (FIN); Macklin Celebrini, F (CAN); Jack Eichel, F (USA); Connor Hellebuyck, G (USA); Quinn Hughes, D (USA); Connor McDavid, F (CAN); Jaccob Slavin, D (USA).
Incredibly, every one of these players is being nominated for the first time.
The IIHF Male Player of the Year award is given annually to a player who “best exemplifies exceptional skill, determination, team success, and sporting character on and off the ice during the preceding season.”
According to the IIHF criteria for the award, candidates must have competed in at least one IIHF tournament (this year, that means the Olympics, World Championship, World Junior Championship, or U18 Men’s World Championship) as well as in a domestic league of the highest calibre for that country, the combined performances of which are deemed superior to all other players.
The voting will take place among media and appropriate members of the IIHF Family. In all, nearly 200 voters are involved. Voters are not limited to these seven candidates. If anyone feels another player is more deserving, that name can be added to the ballot.
Here are the achievements by the candidates for the 2025-26 season (listed alphabetically):
Sebastian Aho, F (FIN)
Aho tied for second in goals scored at the Olympics (4) and scored the opening goal of Finland’s 6-1 win over Slovakia to win the bronze medal. He was also part of Carolina's Stanley Cup-winning team earlier this month.
Macklin Celebrini, F (CAN)
Celebrini played at both the Olympics and World Championship in 2026. In the former, the 19-year-old led all players in goals (5) and finished second in scoring with ten points, helping Canada win the silver medal. He was also voted to the All-Star Team. At the World Championship, he was named team captain, the youngest for Canada in almost 90 years. He tied for second in scoring, was named IIHF Directorate Best Forward, and again named to the All-Star Team. In the NHL, the sophomore had a spectacular year, finishing fourth in scoring with 115 points with San Jose.
Jack Eichel, F (USA)
Eichel helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in Milan. He had six points in as many games, and in the NHL his Vegas Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to Carolina in six games. During the NHL’s regular season, Eichel finished 13th in scoring with 90 points.
Connor Hellebuyck, G (USA)
Hellebuyck played almost certainly the greatest game of his life when it mattered most—in the gold-medal game of the Olympics. He stopped 41 of 42 Canadian shots to lead the Americans to gold. He also earned two end-of-tournament accolades as both IIHF Directorate Best Goalie and named to the All-Star Team. In the NHL, he had a 23-23-11 record with the Winnipeg Jets.
Quinn Hughes, D (USA)
Quinn Hughes was the top-scoring defender at the Olympics (1+7=8), was named IIHF Directorate Award Best Defender, and helped the U.S. win gold. In the NHL, he averaged 27:44 time on ice per game, highest in the league.
Connor McDavid, F (CAN)
McDavid was named tournament MVP of the Olympics. He led the Games in both assists (eleven) and points (13) and was also named IIHF Directorate Best Forward and named to the All-Star Team. He helped Canada win the silver medal. In the NHL, he led the league in scoring (138 points) and was named Ted Linsday Award winner (MVP as selected by the players).
Jaccob Slavin, D (USA)
One of only nine players to win Olympics gold (United States) and the Stanley Cup (Carolina) in the same year, Slavin was a +4 in Milan. In the NHL, with the Hurricanes, Slavin had five assists in 19 playoff games after missing half the regular season with injury.
2024-25 Sven Andrighetto, F (SUI)
2023-24 Roman Cervenka, F (CZE)
2022-23 Connor Bedard, F (CAN)
IIHF Historical Committee, 2026
Luc Tardif, Chair
Tanya Heimlich-Ng Yuen, Secretary
Christer Englund
Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer
Peter Luthi
Andrew Podnieks
Phil Pritchard
Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen