Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

Last updated

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Ladybyngtrophy.jpg
Sport Ice hockey
Awarded forplayer adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability [1]
History
First award 1924–25 NHL season
First winner Frank Nighbor
Most wins Frank Boucher (7)
Most recent Anze Kopitar
Los Angeles Kings

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 90 times to 53 different players since it was first awarded in 1925. The original trophy was donated to the league by Lady Byng of Vimy, then viceregal consort of Canada.

Contents

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.

History

The trophy is named in honour of Marie Evelyn Moreton (Lady Byng), wife of the Viscount Byng of Vimy, who commanded Canadian forces at the Battle of Vimy Ridge and who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926. Lady Byng, an avid hockey fan, decided to donate the trophy to the NHL in 1924–25. [3]

Lady Byng decided the trophy's first winner would be Frank Nighbor of the original Ottawa Senators. Late in the season, she 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. She 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]

Award winners

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, Martin St. Louis, Ron Francis, and Anže Kopitar with three each. Because of Boucher's seven wins, the New York Rangers join Detroit as the only two clubs who have won the award fourteen times, followed by Toronto with nine wins, Chicago and Boston tied with eight, and Los Angeles with seven. [7] Adam Oates was a six-time finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy but never won.

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, Bobby Hull, and Martin St. Louis also won these three awards, but not in the same season. Bobby and Brett Hull are the only father–son combination to win the Hart and Lady Byng trophies. [8]

Bill Quackenbush, Jaccob Slavin, Red Kelly, and Brian Campbell are the only defensemen to have won the Lady Byng Trophy, with Kelly and Slavin being the only ones to win it multiple times. Kelly holds a record three as a defenseman (four overall). After Kelly, no defenseman won the award for a 58-year stretch, which ended in 2012 when Campbell received the honor, although Nicklas Lidstrom narrowly lost to Joe Sakic in 2001. No goaltender has ever won the award.

List of winners

Wayne Gretzky, five-time winner Wgretz edit2.jpg
Wayne Gretzky, five-time winner
Pavel Datsyuk, four-time winner Pavel Datsyuk 2008.jpg
Pavel Datsyuk, four-time winner
Martin St. Louis, three-time winner Marty St Louis 2007.jpg
Martin St. Louis, three-time winner
Positions key
C Centre
RW Right wing
LW Left wing
D Defence
G Goaltender
  Player is still active in the NHL
  Eligible player not yet elected to Hockey Hall of Fame
  Inactive player not yet eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame
SeasonalWinnerTeamPositionWin #GPPIMAvg
1924–25 Frank Nighbor Ottawa Senators C126180.69
1925–26 Frank Nighbor Ottawa Senators C235401.14
1926–27 Billy Burch New York Americans C143400.93
1927–28 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C144150.34
1928–29 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C24480.18
1929–30 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C342160.38
1930–31 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C444200.46
1931–32 Joe Primeau Toronto Maple Leafs C145250.56
1932–33 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C54640.09
1933–34 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C64840.08
1934–35 Frank Boucher New York Rangers C74820.04
1935–36 Elwin "Doc" Romnes Chicago Black Hawks C14860.13
1936–37 Marty Barry Detroit Red Wings C14760.13
1937–38 Gordie Drillon Toronto Maple Leafs RW14840.08
1938–39 Clint Smith New York Rangers C14820.04
1939–40 Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins RW14820.04
1940–41 Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins RW24820.04
1941–42 Syl Apps Toronto Maple Leafs C13800.00
1942–43 Max Bentley Chicago Black Hawks C14720.04
1943–44 Clint Smith Chicago Black Hawks C25040.08
1944–45 Bill Mosienko Chicago Black Hawks RW15000.00
1945–46 Toe Blake Montreal Canadiens LW15020.04
1946–47 Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins RW35840.07
1947–48 Buddy O'Connor New York Rangers C16080.13
1948–49 Bill Quackenbush Detroit Red Wings D16000.00
1949–50 Edgar Laprade New York Rangers C16020.03
1950–51 Red Kelly Detroit Red Wings D170240.34
1951–52 Sid Smith Toronto Maple Leafs LW17060.09
1952–53 Red Kelly Detroit Red Wings D27080.11
1953–54 Red Kelly Detroit Red Wings D362180.29
1954–55 Sid Smith Toronto Maple Leafs LW270140.20
1955–56 Earl Reibel Detroit Red Wings C168100.15
1956–57 Andy Hebenton New York Rangers RW170100.14
1957–58 Camille Henry New York Rangers LW17020.03
1958–59 Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings LW17060.09
1959–60 Don McKenney Boston Bruins C170280.40
1960–61 Red Kelly Toronto Maple Leafs C464120.19
1961–62 Dave Keon Toronto Maple Leafs C16420.03
1962–63 Dave Keon Toronto Maple Leafs C26820.03
1963–64 Kenny Wharram Chicago Black Hawks RW170180.26
1964–65 Bobby Hull Chicago Black Hawks LW161320.52
1965–66 Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings C270160.23
1966–67 Stan Mikita Chicago Black Hawks C170120.17
1967–68 Stan Mikita Chicago Black Hawks C272140.19
1968–69 Alex Delvecchio Detroit Red Wings C37280.11
1969–70 Phil Goyette St. Louis Blues C172160.22
1970–71 Johnny Bucyk Boston Bruins LW17880.10
1971–72 Jean Ratelle New York Rangers C16340.06
1972–73 Gilbert Perreault Buffalo Sabres C178100.13
1973–74 Johnny Bucyk Boston Bruins LW27680.11
1974–75 Marcel Dionne Detroit Red Wings C180140.18
1975–76 Jean Ratelle Boston Bruins C280180.23
1976–77 Marcel Dionne Los Angeles Kings C280120.15
1977–78 Robert "Butch" Goring Los Angeles Kings C18020.03
1978–79 Bob MacMillan Atlanta Flames C177140.18
1979–80 Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers C179210.27
1980–81 Rick Kehoe Pittsburgh Penguins RW18060.08
1981–82 Rick Middleton Boston Bruins RW175120.16
1982–83 Mike Bossy New York Islanders RW179200.25
1983–84 Mike Bossy New York Islanders RW26780.12
1984–85 Jari Kurri Edmonton Oilers RW173300.41
1985–86 Mike Bossy New York Islanders RW380140.18
1986–87 Joe Mullen Calgary Flames RW179140.18
1987–88 Mats Naslund Montreal Canadiens LW178140.18
1988–89 Joe Mullen Calgary Flames RW279160.20
1989–90 Brett Hull St. Louis Blues RW180240.30
1990–91 Wayne Gretzky Los Angeles Kings C278160.21
1991–92 Wayne Gretzky Los Angeles Kings C374340.46
1992–93 Pierre Turgeon New York Islanders C183260.31
1993–94 Wayne Gretzky Los Angeles Kings C481200.25
1994–95 Ron Francis Pittsburgh Penguins C144180.41
1995–96 Paul Kariya Mighty Ducks of Anaheim LW182200.24
1996–97 Paul Kariya Mighty Ducks of Anaheim LW26960.09
1997–98 Ron Francis Pittsburgh Penguins C281200.25
1998–99 Wayne Gretzky New York Rangers C570140.20
1999–2000 Pavol Demitra St. Louis Blues C17180.11
2000–01 Joe Sakic Colorado Avalanche C182300.37
2001–02 Ron Francis Carolina Hurricanes C380180.23
2002–03 Alexander Mogilny Toronto Maple Leafs RW173120.16
2003–04 Brad Richards Tampa Bay Lightning C182120.15
2004–05 Season cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–06 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C175220.29
2006–07 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C279200.25
2007–08 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C382200.24
2008–09 Pavel Datsyuk Detroit Red Wings C481220.27
2009–10 Martin St. Louis Tampa Bay Lightning RW182120.15
2010–11 Martin St. Louis Tampa Bay Lightning RW282120.15
2011–12 Brian Campbell Florida Panthers D18260.07
2012–13 Martin St. Louis Tampa Bay Lightning RW348140.29
2013–14 Ryan O'Reilly Colorado Avalanche C18020.03
2014–15 Jiri Hudler Calgary Flames RW178140.18
2015–16 Anze Kopitar Los Angeles Kings C181160.20
2016–17 Johnny Gaudreau Calgary Flames LW17240.06
2017–18 William Karlsson Vegas Golden Knights C182120.15
2018–19 Aleksander Barkov Florida Panthers C18280.10
2019–20 Nathan MacKinnon Colorado Avalanche C169120.17
2020–21 Jaccob Slavin Carolina Hurricanes D15220.04
2021–22 Kyle Connor Winnipeg Jets LW17940.05
2022–23 Anze Kopitar Los Angeles Kings C28240.05
2023–24 Jaccob Slavin Carolina Hurricanes D28180.10
2024–25 Anze Kopitar Los Angeles Kings C38140.05

See also

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 "Lady Byng Memorial Trophy history". Legendsofhockey.net. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  2. Jon Dolezar (April 20, 2003). "Foppa shows the most Hart". SI.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
  3. 1 2 "Lady Byng Memorial Trophy history". NHL.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  4. Hunter, Douglas (1997). Champions: The Illustrated History of Hockey's Greatest Dynasties. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN   1-57243-213-6.
  5. Frank Nighbor Archived 2004-08-04 at the Wayback Machine at the Hockey Hall of Fame site.
  6. Boucher, p. 12.
  7. "Lady Byng Trophy". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  8. "Hart Memorial Trophy history". NHL.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2006. Retrieved July 31, 2007.