Sidney Crosby, the 19-year-old NHL scoring champion for the Penguins, is a finalist for league MVP in just his second season. After scoring 120 points, Crosby is one of three players vying for the Hart Trophy.
The other two nominees, announced by the NHL on Tuesday, are goaltenders, New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo.
Brodeur broke Bernie Parent’s 33-year-old record by winning 48 games this season while Luongo tied the mark with 47. They also are finalists for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top goalie. The winners will be announced June 14 in Toronto.
*Jaroslav Bednar scored the winning goal with 1 minute 8 seconds left to lift the Czech Republic a 4-3 victory over the U.S. and the top spot in Group B of the world hockey championships. Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter, and Chad Larose and Andrew Hutchinson of Carolina scored for the U.S., which is 2-1 and has advanced to the qualifying round.
*Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson, who guided the Irish to the best record in school history (32-7-3), received a two-year contract extension through the 2012-13 season. … The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced it will not expand beyond it’s current 10 teams.
