TORONTO -- As expected, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins became the second-youngest player to ever capture the Hart Memorial Trophy when he was selected Thursday as the National Hockey League's Most Valuable Player.

Crosby finished the season with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) to become the youngest player ever to secure the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer at the age of 19 years, seven months. It was later revealed that he skated the last few weeks of the regular season and the entire postseason with a broken foot.

Crosby was the youngest Hart finalist at 19 years, 10 months since Wayne Gretzky won it at 19 years, five months back in 1979-80.

The Nova Scotia native also won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player in the league as voted upon by the NHL Players Association.

Crosby, who was beat out by Washington's Alexander Ovechkin for the Calder trophy last season, guided the Penguins to the playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 season. It was a short-lived run, though, as the team was knocked out by Ottawa in five games.

The other two finalists were goaltenders Martin Brodeur of New Jersey and Roberto Luongo of Vancouver.

Brodeur, who won his third Vezina on Thursday, posted an NHL-record 48 wins with a 2.18 goals-against average. His win total eclipsed Bernie Parent's mark of 47 wins, established by the Flyers goaltender during the 1973-74 campaign. This was the third time Brodeur was nominated for the Hart Trophy.

In his first season with the Canucks, Luongo put together a 47-22-6 record, just one win shy of Brodeur's record-breaking mark. He finished with a 2.28 GAA and a .921 save percentage. It was his first Hart nomination.

Crosby finished with 91 of 143 first-place votes and had 1,225 points. Luongo had 25 first-place votes and 801 points while Brodeur nabbed 21 first-place votes and 763 points.

Joe Thornton of San Jose captured the Hart trophy last season. It has been continuously awarded since 1924, when Frank Nighbor of the original Ottawa Senators franchise was honored.