Conn Smythe Trophy

Conn Smythe Trophy
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Established 1964–65 NHL season
Current holder(s) Jonathan Toews
Awarded to the "most valuable player for his team" in the National Hockey League playoffs[1]

The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 45 times to 39 players since the 1964–65 NHL season. Each year, at the conclusion of the final game of the Stanley Cup finals, members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote to elect the player deserving of the trophy.[1] The trophy is handed out prior to the presentation of the Stanley Cup by the NHL commissioner.

Unlike the similar MVP awards presented in the other major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada (the Super Bowl MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, and the World Series MVP), the Conn Smythe is based on the entire NHL postseason instead of just the championship game or series.

Contents

History

The Conn Smythe Trophy was introduced in 1964 by Maple Leaf Gardens Limited to honor Conn Smythe, the former owner, general manager, and coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder.[1] The trophy's design is similar to Maple Leaf Gardens, the arena in which the Maple Leafs played their home games from 1931 to 1999, with a botanically-correct maple leaf further embellishing it as well.[2]

The first winner of the award was centre Jean Béliveau of the Montreal Canadiens for his performance in the 1965 Stanley Cup playoffs. The first player to win it twice was Bobby Orr in 1972. Goaltender Bernie Parent and centres Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux also won it twice, and Patrick Roy is the only player who has won it three times. Roy is also the only player to win the trophy for more than one team. The trophy has been won nine times by Montreal Canadiens players, five times by Detroit Red Wings players, and four times by Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders players.

The trophy has been awarded to members of a losing team five times, the most recent being Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003, when his team lost to the New Jersey Devils in a seven-game series. The only non-goaltender to win the award in a losing cause is Philadelphia's Reggie Leach, who won it in 1976 when the Canadiens swept his Flyers.

With four exceptions, the winners of the Conn Smythe Trophy have all been Canadian. The four non-Canadian winners are American Brian Leetch, who won it in 1994, Russian Evgeni Malkin, who won it in 2009, and Swedes Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg, who won it in 2002 and 2008, respectively.

Only three players have won the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy for most valuable player during the regular season in the same year: Bobby Orr in 1970 and 1972, Guy Lafleur in 1977 and Wayne Gretzky in 1985.[1][3]

Winners

Patrick Roy, the only three-time winner.
Mario Lemieux, two-time winner.
Brian Leetch, one-time winner.
Nicklas Lidstrom, one-time winner.
Johnathan Toews, one-time winner.
Positions key
C Centre LW Left Wing
D Defence RW Right Wing
G Goaltender

     Player is still active in the NHL.

Season Winner Team Position Win #
1964–65 Beliveau, JeanJean Beliveau Montreal Canadiens C 1
1965–66 Crozier, RogerRoger Crozier[A] Detroit Red Wings G 1
1966–67 Keon, DaveDave Keon Toronto Maple Leafs C 1
1967–68 Hall, GlennGlenn Hall[A] St. Louis Blues G 1
1968–69 Savard, SergeSerge Savard Montreal Canadiens D 1
1969–70 Orr, BobbyBobby Orr Boston Bruins D 1
1970–71 Dryden, KenKen Dryden Montreal Canadiens G 1
1971–72 Orr, BobbyBobby Orr Boston Bruins D 2
1972–73 Cournoyer, YvanYvan Cournoyer Montreal Canadiens RW 1
1973–74 Parent, BernieBernie Parent Philadelphia Flyers G 1
1974–75 Parent, BernieBernie Parent Philadelphia Flyers G 2
1975–76 Leach, ReggieReggie Leach[A] Philadelphia Flyers RW 1
1976–77 Lafleur, GuyGuy Lafleur Montreal Canadiens RW 1
1977–78 Robinson, LarryLarry Robinson Montreal Canadiens D 1
1978–79 Gainey, BobBob Gainey Montreal Canadiens LW 1
1979–80 Trottier, BryanBryan Trottier New York Islanders C 1
1980–81 Goring, ButchButch Goring New York Islanders C 1
1981–82 Bossy, MikeMike Bossy New York Islanders RW 1
1982–83 Smith, BillyBilly Smith New York Islanders G 1
1983–84 Messier, MarkMark Messier Edmonton Oilers C 1
1984–85 Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers C 1
1985–86 Roy, PatrickPatrick Roy Montreal Canadiens G 1
1986–87 Hextall, RonRon Hextall[A] Philadelphia Flyers G 1
1987–88 Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers C 2
1988–89 MacInnis, AlAl MacInnis Calgary Flames D 1
1989–90 Ranford, BillBill Ranford Edmonton Oilers G 1
1990–91 Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux Pittsburgh Penguins C 1
1991–92 Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux Pittsburgh Penguins C 2
1992–93 Roy, PatrickPatrick Roy Montreal Canadiens G 2
1993–94 Leetch, BrianBrian Leetch New York Rangers D 1
1994–95 Lemieux, ClaudeClaude Lemieux New Jersey Devils RW 1
1995–96 Sakic, JoeJoe Sakic Colorado Avalanche C 1
1996–97 Vernon, MikeMike Vernon Detroit Red Wings G 1
1997–98 Yzerman, SteveSteve Yzerman Detroit Red Wings C 1
1998–99 Nieuwendyk, JoeJoe Nieuwendyk Dallas Stars C 1
1999–2000 Stevens, ScottScott Stevens New Jersey Devils D 1
2000–01 Roy, PatrickPatrick Roy Colorado Avalanche G 3
2001–02 Lidstrom, NicklasNicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings D 1
2002–03 Giguere, Jean-SebastienJean-Sebastien Giguere[A] Anaheim, Mighty Ducks ofMighty Ducks of Anaheim G 1
2003–04 Richards, BradBrad Richards Tampa Bay Lightning C 1
2004–05 2004–05 NHL lockout
No winner
—
—
—
2005–06 Ward, CamCam Ward Carolina Hurricanes G 1
2006–07 Niedermayer, ScottScott Niedermayer Anaheim Ducks D 1
2007–08 Zetterberg, HenrikHenrik Zetterberg Detroit Red Wings C 1
2008–09 Malkin, EvgeniEvgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins C 1
2009–10 Toews, JonathanJonathan Toews Chicago Blackhawks C 1

Notes ^ A. Player was a member of the defeated team in the Stanley Cup Final.

See also

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Conn Smythe Trophy". National Hockey League. http://www.nhl.com/trophies/smythe.html. Retrieved 2007-08-17. 
  2. ↑ "Conn Smythe Trophy History". Hockey Hall of Fame. http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/silver_splashconnsmythe.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-17. 
  3. ↑ "Hart Memorial Trophy". National Hockey League. http://www.nhl.com/trophies/hart.html. Retrieved 2007-08-17. 
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