NBA MVP Jokic presents NHL MVP MacKinnon with Hart Trophy

The Colorado Avalanche honored superstar Nathan MacKinnon before their home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, and there was a big surprise in the form of Nikola Jokic.

The reigning NBA MVP presented the reigning NHL MVP with the Hart Trophy, and the crowd in Denver exploded.

MacKinnon already collected the Hart and Ted Lindsay Award over the summer in Las Vegas, but this was a chance to show both trophies off in front of the home fans. And bringing out Jokic was a special treat.

Take a look for yourself:

THIS. JUST. HAPPENED.

NBA MVP Nikola Jokic presented NHL MVP Nathan MacKinnon with his Hart Trophy and Ball Arena went insane. What a cool moment. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/jErQhLQUTw

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) October 13, 2024

What a moment.

Jokic of the Nuggets and MacKinnon of the Avalanche made history this past summer. They became the first duo in the same city to win NBA and NHL MVP since Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretzky did it in 1989 in Los Angeles. That’s pretty awesome company to keep, and the only other time it’s ever been done.

Ball Arena has a huge banner honoring the accomplishment, and the Avs really leaned into it in a brilliant way by having Jokic do the honors.

MacKinnon had a huge year in 2023-24, shattering personal records. He finished with 140 points, the most in his career in a single season by 29, after recording 111 in 2022-23.

He also scored more than 50 goals for the first time, finishing with 51 total. His 89 assists were by far the most he’s ever had in one year. MacKinnon finished second in the NHL in points to Nikita Kucherov, who had 144. Superstar Connor McDavid came in third with 132.

And don’t forget all the history MacKinnon made throughout last season. He had two four-goal games, a natural hat trick, and the second-longest home point streak in NHL history. He went 35 straight games at Ball Arena getting on the scoresheet, trailing only Wayne Gretzky’s 40-game record from the 1988-89 season.

It felt like every night MacKinnon was doing something historic, and the awards he earned were icing on the cake.

Now, MacKinnon and the Avalanche will try to create new history this year. Yes, the Hart and Lindsay are amazing, but he’d like to add a second Stanley Cup to his resume.

Having Jokic there to be part of the ceremony on Saturday night is a memory they’ll never forget, along with the 18,000 fans that got to take it in.