The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) during the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general manager, and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Each year, at the conclusion of the final game of the Stanley Cup Final, members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association vote to elect the player deserving of the trophy. The trophy is handed out prior to the presentation of the Stanley Cup by the NHL Commissioner and only the winner is announced, in contrast to most of the other NHL awards which name three finalists and are presented at a ceremony.
Unlike the playoff MVP awards presented in the other major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada (the Super Bowl MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, the MLS Cup MVP and the World Series MVP), the Conn Smythe is based on a player’s performance during the entire NHL postseason instead of just the championship game or series.
Can the Conn Smythe Go to a Player on a Losing Team?
Yes – but rarely. It’s only happened six times in the 50-plus year history of the trophy, the most recent being Connor McDavid when he posted 42 points in the 2024 Playoffs – including breaking Wayne Gretzky’s assist record for most in a playoff year.
These are the losing team Smythe winners:
- 1966 Roger Crozier – Red Wings
- 1968 Glenn Hall – Blues
- 1976 Reggie Leach – Flyers
- 1987 Ron Hextall – Flyers
- 2003 J.S. Giguere – Mighty Ducks
- 2024 Connor McDavid – Oilers
Quick Hits
Brian Leetch and the Road to the 1994 Conn Smythe
Should We Really Be Booing Bettman
Conn Smythe Trophy Winners
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Jean Beliveau | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1966 | Roger Crozier | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1967 | Dave Keon | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1968 | Glenn Hall | St. Louis Blues |
| 1969 | Serge Savard | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1970 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1971 | Ken Dryden | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1972 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins |
| 1973 | Yvan Cournoyer | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1974 | Bernie Parent | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1975 | Bernie Parent | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1976 | Reggie Leach | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1977 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1978 | Larry Robinson | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1979 | Bob Gainey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1980 | Bryan Trottier | New York Islanders |
| 1981 | Butch Goring | New York Islanders |
| 1982 | Mike Bossy | New York Islanders |
| 1983 | Billy Smith | New York Islanders |
| 1984 | Mark Messier | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1985 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1986 | Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1987 | Ron Hextall | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1988 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1989 | Al MacInnis | Calgary Flames |
| 1990 | Bill Ranford | Edmonton Oilers |
| 1991 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 1992 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 1993 | Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1994 | Brian Leetch | New York Rangers |
| 1995 | Claude Lemieux | New Jersey Devils |
| 1996 | Joe Sakic | Colorado Avalanche |
| 1997 | Mike Vernon | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1998 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1999 | Joe Nieuwendyk | Dallas Stars |
| 2000 | Scott Stevens | New Jersey Devils |
| 2001 | Patrick Roy | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2002 | Nicklas Lidstrom | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2003 | Jean-Sebastien Giguere | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| 2004 | Brad Richards | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2005 | No winner due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout | |
| 2006 | Cam Ward | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 2007 | Scott Niedermayer | Anaheim Ducks |
| 2008 | Henrik Zetterberg | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2009 | Evgeni Malkin | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2010 | Jonathan Toews | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2011 | Tim Thomas | Boston Bruins |
| 2012 | Jonathan Quick | Los Angeles Kings |
| 2013 | Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2014 | Justin Williams | Los Angeles Kings |
| 2015 | Duncan Keith | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2016 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2017 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2018 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals |
| 2019 | Ryan O’Reilly | St. Louis Blues |
| 2020 | Victor Hedman | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2021 | Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2022 | Cale Makar | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2023 | Jonathan Marchessault | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 2024 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers |
Some 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. The centerpiece of the trophy is a stylized silver replica of Maple Leaf Gardens, the arena built under Smythe’s ownership of the Maple Leafs, and their home from 1931 to 1999. Backing the arena replica is a large silver botanically-accurate maple leaf. The arena replica and leaf are set atop a square wooden foundation, the front of which bears a dedication plaque. Additional tiers below the foundation, sloping outward, contain maple leaf-shaped plates bearing the inscriptions of the winners’ names.
The base of the Conn Smythe Trophy has been expanded twice over the years to accommodate more winners.
