Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov were named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Wednesday.

Voted on by fellow members of the NHL Players’ Association, it is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL.

Matthews won the trophy in 2021-22 and Kucherov claimed it in 2018-19, while MacKinnon is looking for his first Ted Lindsay Award.

Matthews led the NHL with 69 goals and scored a career-high 107 points in 81 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 26-year-old forward became just the 10th player in NHL history to record six or more hat tricks in a season.

MacKinnon was second in the league with 140 points (51 goals, 89 assists) in 82 games for the Colorado Avalanche. The 28-year-old forward opened the season with a 35-game points streak at home and led the NHL in shots (405).

Kucherov set a Tampa Bay franchise record and topped the NHL with 144 points (44 goals, 100 assists) in 81 games for the Lightning. The 30-year-old forward also topped the league with 53 points on the power play.

Ippei Mizuhara agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to federal charges of felony bank fraud and submitting a false tax return after authorities found that he stole nearly $17 million from Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani in order to pay off gambling debts to an illegal sportsbook.

Mizuhara, 39, who had been Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, is expected to enter his guilty plea in the coming weeks. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

A sentencing date has not been set. The total maximum sentence Mizuhara could receive for both crimes would be 33 years imprisonment and fines of $1.25 million, but in exchange for his plea — outlined in the agreement released Wednesday — prosecutors would recommend a reduced sentence.

A spokesperson for Ohtani declined to comment.

Federal authorities filed the complaint against Mizuhara on April 11, just three weeks after an ESPN investigation detailing wire transfers of $500,000 from Ohtani’s bank account to the bookmaking operation. Mizuhara initially told ESPN Ohtani had sent the money to help him pay his debts but later changed his story to say Ohtani had no knowledge of his gambling or the wire transfers. Ohtani’s attorneys alleged the slugger had been the victim of a “massive theft.”

“The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada in a press release. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit.”

Also in the statement, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher said, “Mr. Mizuhara exploited his relationship with Mr. Ohtani to bankroll his own irresponsibility.”

The documents filed Wednesday further detailed a relationship of trust in which Ohtani, who did not speak English, relied on his Japanese translator to help him with everything from answering questions at press conferences, transacting with financial advisors and sports agents, and opening bank accounts.

Mizuhara began placing bets with an illegal bookmaker in September 2021, and as his losses quickly mounted, he began to exploit his access to Ohtani’s financial accounts to pay off his debts.

Mizuhara took many steps to deceive Ohtani, including changing contact information on the baseball player’s bank accounts so communication would come to Mizuhara. He even impersonated Ohtani on the phone with calls to the bank, which he did at least 24 times, according to the plea agreement.

In September 2023, Mizuhara told Ohtani he needed $60,000 for dental work, which Ohtani arrange to give him via a check drawn from a business account. However, Mizuhara pocketed that money and instead used Ohtani’s debit card to pay the $60,000 dental bill.

ESPN’s Tisha Thompson contributed to this report.

The Milwaukee Brewers reinstated outfielder Christian Yelich from the 10-day injured list ahead of Wednesday’s game in Kansas City.

Infielder Tyler Black was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to make room for Yelich, who was in the lineup batting third as the designated hitter against the Royals.

Yelich, 32, landed on the IL on April 16 with a lower back strain. The 2018 National League MVP has been out of the lineup since April 12 and has periodically dealt with back issues over the past few seasons.

He started fast this season, batting .333 with a .422 on-base percentage and .744 slugging percentage in 11 games. He has hit five home runs with 11 RBIs in 39 at-bats.

Yelich played for the Miami Marlins from 2013 to 2017 before joining Milwaukee and was an All-Star his first two seasons with the Brewers. He is a career .286 hitter with 198 home runs and 717 RBIs in 1,404 games over 12 years.

Black, 23, batted .227 with two doubles and two stolen bases in seven games since making his MLB debut April 30.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.