Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
{{{alt}}}
Established 1924–25 NHL season
Current holder(s) Martin St. Louis
Awarded to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability[1]

The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability".[1] The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy has been awarded 85 times to 51 different players since it was first awarded in 1925.

The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system.[2] Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Contents

History

The trophy is named in honour of Marie Evelyn Moreton (Lady Byng), wife of Viscount Byng of Vimy, a Vimy Ridge war hero who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926. Lady Byng, who was an avid hockey fan, decided to donate the trophy to the NHL in 1925.[3]

She decided the trophy's first winner would be Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators. Late in the season, Lady Byng invited Nighbor to Rideau Hall, showed him the trophy, and asked him if the NHL would accept it as an award for its most gentlemanly player. When Nighbor said he thought it would, Lady Byng, much to Nighbor's surprise, awarded him the trophy.[4][5]

After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times within eight years, Lady Byng was so impressed that she gave him the original trophy to keep. Lady Byng then donated a second trophy in 1935–36. When Lady Byng died in 1949 the NHL presented another trophy and changed the official name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.[3] In 1962, the original trophy was destroyed in a fire at Boucher's home.[6]

Besides Boucher, a number of players have won the award multiple times, including Wayne Gretzky who won it five times, Red Kelly and Pavel Datsyuk with four wins, and Bobby Bauer, Alex Delvecchio, Mike Bossy and Ron Francis with three each. Because of Boucher's seven wins, the New York Rangers have won the award the most out of any club, fifteen times, followed by Detroit with fourteen, Toronto with nine, Chicago and Boston tied with eight, and Los Angeles with five.[7]

Five players have won both the Lady Byng Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP in the same season: Buddy O'Connor (1947–48), Bobby Hull (1964–65), Stan Mikita (1966–67 and 1967–68), Wayne Gretzky (1979–80) and Joe Sakic (2000–01). Mikita is also the only player to win the Hart, Art Ross, and Lady Byng trophies in the same season, doing so consecutively in the 1966–67 and 1967–68 seasons. Gretzky and Bobby Hull are the other players who have won these three awards in their career, though not in the same season, while Bobby and Brett Hull are the only father-son combination to win the Hart and Lady Byng trophies.[8]

Bill Quackenbush and Red Kelly are the only defensemen to have won the Lady Byng Trophy, since then no defenseman has won in over fifty years. No goaltender has ever won the award.

Winners

Frank Nighbor, two-time winner.
Paul Kariya, two-time winner.
Wayne Gretzky, five-time winner.
Pavol Demitra, one-time winner.
Alexander Mogilny, one-time winner.
Joe Sakic, one time winner.
Brad Richards, one-time winner.
Pavel Datsyuk, four-time winner.
Martin St. Louis, one-time winner.
Positions key
C Centre D Defence RW Right Wing LW Left Wing G Goaltender

     Player is still active

Season Winner Team Position Win #
1924–25 Frank Nighbor Ottawa Senators C 1
1925–26 Frank Nighbor Ottawa Senators C 2
1926–27 Billy Burch New York Americans C 1
1927–28 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C 1
1928–29 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C 2
1929–30 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C 3
1930–31 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C 4
1931–32 Joe Primeau Toronto Maple Leafs C 1
1932–33 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C 5
1933–34 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C 6
1934–35 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C 7
1935–36 Elwyn "Doc" Romnes Chicago Black Hawks C 1
1936–37 Marty Barry Detroit Red Wings C 1
1937–38 Gordie Drillon Toronto Maple Leafs RW 1
1938–39 Clint Smith New York Rangers C 1
1939–40 Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins RW 1
1940–41 Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins RW 2
1941–42 Syl Apps Toronto Maple Leafs C 1
1942–43 Max Bentley Chicago Black Hawks C 1
1943–44 Clint Smith Chicago Black Hawks C 2
1944–45 Bill Mosienko Chicago Black Hawks RW 1
1945–46 Toe Blake Montreal Canadiens LW 1
1946–47 Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins RW 3
1947–48 Buddy O'Connor New York Rangers C 1
1948–49 Bill Quackenbush Detroit Red Wings D 1
1949–50 Edgar Laprade New York Rangers C 1
1950–51 Red Kelly Detroit Red Wings D 1
1951–52 Sid Smith Toronto Maple Leafs LW 1
1952–53 Red Kelly Detroit Red Wings D 2
1953–54 Red Kelly Detroit Red Wings D 3
1954–55 Sid Smith Toronto Maple Leafs LW 2
1955–56 Earl Reibel Detroit Red Wings C 1
1956–57 Andy Hebenton New York Rangers RW 1
1957–58 Camille Henry New York Rangers LW 1
1958–59 Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings C 1
1959–60 Don McKenney Boston Bruins C 1
1960–61 Red Kelly Toronto Maple Leafs C 4
1961–62 Dave Keon Toronto Maple Leafs C 1
1962–63 Dave Keon Toronto Maple Leafs C 2
1963–64 Ken Wharram Chicago Black Hawks C 1
1964–65 Bobby Hull Chicago Black Hawks LW 1
1965–66 Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings C 2
1966–67 Stan Mikita Chicago Black Hawks C 1
1967–68 Stan Mikita Chicago Black Hawks C 2
1968–69 Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings C 3
1969–70 Phil Goyette St. Louis Blues C 1
1970–71 John Bucyk Boston Bruins LW 1
1971–72 Jean Ratelle New York Rangers C 1
1972–73 Gilbert Perreault Buffalo Sabres C 1
1973–74 John Bucyk Boston Bruins LW 2
1974–75 Marcel Dionne Detroit Red Wings C 1
1975–76 Jean Ratelle Boston Bruins C 2
1976–77 Marcel Dionne Los Angeles Kings C 2
1977–78 Robert "Butch" Goring Los Angeles Kings C 1
1978–79 Bob MacMillan Atlanta Flames C 1
1979–80 Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers C 1
1980–81 Rick Kehoe Pittsburgh Penguins C 1
1981–82 Rick Middleton Boston Bruins RW 1
1982–83 Mike Bossy New York Islanders RW 1
1983–84 Mike Bossy New York Islanders RW 2
1984–85 Jari Kurri Edmonton Oilers RW 1
1985–86 Mike Bossy New York Islanders RW 3
1986–87 Joe Mullen Calgary Flames C 1
1987–88 Mats Naslund Montreal Canadiens LW 1
1988–89 Joe Mullen Calgary Flames C 2
1989–90 Brett Hull St. Louis Blues RW 1
1990–91 Wayne Gretzky Los Angeles Kings C 2
1991–92 Wayne Gretzky Los Angeles Kings C 3
1992–93 Pierre Turgeon New York Islanders C 1
1993–94 Wayne Gretzky Los Angeles Kings C 4
1994–95 Ron Francis Pittsburgh Penguins C 1
1995–96 Paul Kariya Mighty Ducks of Anaheim LW 1
1996–97 Paul Kariya Mighty Ducks of Anaheim LW 2
1997–98 Ron Francis Pittsburgh Penguins C 2
1998–99 Wayne Gretzky New York Rangers C 5
1999–2000 Pavol Demitra St. Louis Blues C 1
2000–01 Joe Sakic Colorado Avalanche C 1
2001–02 Ron Francis Carolina Hurricanes C 3
2002–03 Alexander Mogilny Toronto Maple Leafs RW 1
2003–04 Brad Richards Tampa Bay Lightning C 1
2004–05 2004–05 NHL lockout
No winner		 - - -
2005–06 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C 1
2006–07 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C 2
2007–08 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C 3
2008–09 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C 4
2009–10 Martin St. Louis Tampa Bay Lightning RW 1

See also

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Lady Byng Memorial Trophy history". Legendsofhockey.net. http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/silver_splashladybyng.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-20. 
  2. ↑ Jon Dolezar (2003-04-20). "Foppa shows the most Hart". SI.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/jon_dolezar/news/2003/04/01/dolie_insider/. Retrieved 2007-08-01. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Lady Byng Memorial Trophy history". NHL.com. http://www.nhl.com/trophies/ladybyng.html. Retrieved 2007-08-20. 
  4. ↑ Hunter, Douglas (1997). Champions: The Illustrated History of Hockey's Greatest Dynasties. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1572432166. 
  5. ↑ Frank Nighbor at the Hockey Hall of Fame site
  6. ↑ Boucher, p. 12
  7. ↑ "Lady Byng Trophy history". canadianencyclopedia.com. http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004454. Retrieved 2007-08-20. 
  8. ↑ "Hart Memorial Trophy history". NHL.com. http://www.nhl.com/trophies/hart.html. Retrieved 2007-07-31. 
NHL awards and trophies
Team
Individual
Adams · Art Ross · Calder · Conn Smythe · Crozier · Hart · Jennings · King Clancy · Lady Byng · Lindsay · Masterton · Messier · NHL Foundation · Norris · Plus/Minus · Rocket Richard · Selke · Vezina
Defunct
O'Brien · Man of the Year Award
National Hockey League
Seasons (structure) · Stanley Cup (Playoffs–Champions–Finals-Conference Finals) · Presidents' Trophy · All-Star Game · Draft · Players (Association) · All-Star Teams · Awards · Winter Classic · SuperSkills Competition · Captains
History · Organizational changes · Timeline · Defunct teams · NHA · Original Six · 1967 Expansion · WHA · Potential expansion · Streaks · Droughts · Hall of Fame (members) · Rivalries · Arenas · Rules · Fighting · Violence
Category · Portal  · 2010–11 season