From NHL.com:
Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals and Henrik Sedin of the Canucks are the 2009-10 finalists for the Hart Trophy. They also were the top three scorers in the NHL this past season.
The Hart Memorial Trophy is presented annually "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team." The winner is selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in the 30 NHL cities at the end of the regular season.
The winner of the trophy will be announced at the 2010 NHL Awards, to be held in Las Vegas on June 23. The ceremony will be broadcast live from the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas on VERSUS in the United States and CBC in Canada.
As mentioned in the release, the voting is finished before the playoffs begin, so it's strictly a regular season award.
Crosby tied for the league lead in goals (with Tampa's Steven Stamkos), led the league in hat tricks (3), was the best player in the shootout (8 for 10), took and won the most faceoffs of anyone. In a year when Evgeni Malkin was inconsistent and injured, Crosby stepped up, took all questions of a Stanley Cup hangover and put the team on his back, taking them solidly into the playoffs.
Despite losing games to injury/suspension, Ovechkin finishes 2nd in the league in goals and points, has the best points/game and most shots of anyone and the best plus/minus of any forward. He was the best player on the league's best regular season team.
Henrik Sedin led the league in assists and goals and really made his case when his twin brother went down with injury, but his production didn't, and Vancouver didn't.