NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Winners-Award presented annually since 1925 for combination of skill, sportsmanship
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season; each voter ranks his top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is presented at the NHL Awards after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Lady Byng, wife of Canada's governor general at the time, presented the Lady Byng Trophy in 1925. She decided the 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.After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight seasons from 1927-28 through 1934-35, he was given the trophy to keep. Lady Byng donated a replacement in 1936. After her death in 1949, the NHL presented a new trophy and changed the name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.In addition to Boucher, several players have won the award multiple times -- including Wayne Gretzky (five), Red Kelly and Pavel Datsyuk (four), and Bobby Bauer, Alex Delvecchio, Mike Bossy, Ron Francis and Martin St. Louis (three). The Rangers and Detroit Red Wings have won the award more often than any other team -- 14 times. The Toronto Maple Leafs are next with nine, the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins are tied with eight and the Los Angeles Kings are next with six.No goaltender has won the award; Bill Quackenbush (1949, Red Wings), Kelly (1941, 1953, 1954 Red Wings; also won as forward in 1961 with the Maple Leafs) and Brian Campbell (2012, Florida Panthers) are the only defensemen to do so.
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Winner
2023: Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
2022: Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
2021: Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
2020: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
2019: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
2018: William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights
2017: Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
2016: Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
2015: Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames
2014: Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado Avalanche
2013: Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
2012: Brian Campbell, Florida Panthers
2011: Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
2010: Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
2009: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
2008: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
2007: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
2006: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
2004: Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning
2003: Alexander Mogilny, Toronto Maple Leafs
2002: Ron Francis, Carolina Hurricanes
2001: Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche
2000: Pavol Demitra, St. Louis Blues
1999: Wayne Gretzky, New York Rangers
1998: Ron Francis, Pittsburgh Penguins
1997: Paul Kariya, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
1996: Paul Kariya, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
1995: Ron Francis, Pittsburgh Penguins
1994: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
1993: Pierre Turgeon, New York Islanders
1992: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
1991: Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
1990: Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues
1989: Joe Mullen, Calgary Flames
1988: Mats Naslund, Montreal Canadiens
1987: Joe Mullen, Calgary Flames
1986: Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
1985: Jari Kurri, Edmonton Oilers
1984: Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
1983: Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
1982: Rick Middleton, Boston Bruins
1981: Rick Kehoe, Pittsburgh Penguins
1980: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
1979: Bob MacMillan, Atlanta Flames
1978: Butch Goring, Los Angeles Kings
1977: Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings
1976: Jean Ratelle, Boston Bruins
1975: Marcel Dionne, Detroit Red Wings
1974: Johnny Bucyk, Boston Bruins
1973: Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres
1972: Jean Ratelle, New York Rangers
1971: Johnny Bucyk, Boston Bruins
1970: Phil Goyette, St. Louis Blues
1969: Alex Delvecchio, Detroit Red Wings
1968: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
1967: Stan Mikita, Chicago Black Hawks
1966: Alex Delvecchio, Detroit Red Wings
1965: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
1964: Kenny Wharram, Chicago Black Hawks
1963: Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs
1962: Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs
1961: Red Kelly, Toronto Maple Leafs
1960: Don McKenney, Boston Bruins
1959: Alex Delvecchio, Detroit Red Wings
1958: Camille Henry, New York Rangers
1957: Andy Hebenton, New York Rangers
1956: Earl Reibel, Detroit Red Wings
1955: Sid Smith, Toronto Maple Leafs
1954: Red Kelly, Detroit Red Wings
1953: Red Kelly, Detroit Red Wings
1952: Sid Smith, Toronto Maple Leafs
1951: Red Kelly, Detroit Red Wings
1950: Edgar Laprade, New York Rangers
1949: Bill Quackenbush, Detroit Red Wings
1948: Buddy O'Connor, New York Rangers
1947: Bobby Bauer, Boston Bruins
1946: Toe Blake, Montreal Canadiens
1945: Bill Mosienko, Chicago Black Hawks
1944: Clint Smith, Chicago Black Hawks
1943: Max Bentley, Chicago Black Hawks
1942: Syl Apps, Toronto Maple Leafs
1941: Bobby Bauer, Boston Bruins
1940: Bobby Bauer, Boston Bruins
1939: Clint Smith, New York Rangers
1938: Gordie Drillon, Toronto Maple Leafs
1937: Marty Barry, Detroit Red Wings
1936: Doc Romnes, Chicago Black Hawks
1935: Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
1934: Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
1933: Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
1932: Joe Primeau, Toronto Maple Leafs
1931: Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
1930: Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
1929: Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
1928: Frank Boucher, New York Rangers
1927: Billy Burch, New York Americans
1926: Frank Nighbor, Ottawa Senators
1925: Frank Nighbor, Ottawa Senators
