Sport | Ice hockey |
---|---|
Awarded for | Most Valuable player at the Memorial Cup |
History | |
First award | 1972 |
Most wins | Taylor Hall (2) |
Most recent | Owen Beck |
The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League (CHL) trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup tournament. The trophy was first awarded in 1972 and won by Richard Brodeur of the Cornwall Royals. [1] Taylor Hall won the award in 2009 and 2010 with the Windsor Spitfires making him the first repeat winner in the trophy's history. [2] Through the 2024 season, it has been won 22 times by players on a team representing the Western Hockey League (WHL), 15 by those from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and 14 by players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
The Kamloops Blazers franchise has had the most MVPs at six: three as members of the Blazers, and three when the franchise was known as the New Westminster Bruins. The Cornwall Royals had three MVPs. Eight players have won the Smythe Trophy despite their team failing to win the Memorial Cup: Sam Steel (2018), Leon Draisaitl (2015), Danny Groulx (2002), Chris Madden (1998), Cameron Mann (1996), Sean McKenna (1982), Bart Hunter (1979), and Barry Smith (1975).
The trophy is named in honour of Stafford Smythe, the son of Conn Smythe. Stafford was part of a group that purchased controlling interest in the National Hockey League's (NHL) Toronto Maple Leafs in 1961, [3] and served as the president of the Toronto franchise and Maple Leaf Gardens for many years. [4] The Smythe family donated the trophy to the CHL in 1972, shortly after his death. [5]
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Officially the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League until 2023, the league includes teams in Quebec and the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general manager, and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 54 times to 47 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. The trophy is handed out by the NHL Commissioner before the presentation of the Stanley Cup 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. Vote tallies for the Conn Smythe Trophy were released starting in 2017.
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.
The Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. This team shared its name with other Cornwall Royals teams that played in the QSHL, MMJHL, or OHA-B.
The 2005 Memorial Cup was held May 21–29, 2005 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. It was the 87th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The Cup tournament featured the champions from the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Kelowna Rockets; the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Rimouski Océanic; the Ottawa 67's representing the Ontario Hockey League (OHL); and the host team. Since the host team, the London Knights, won the Ontario Hockey League championship against the Ottawa 67's, the 67's earned the right to represent the OHL as the League runner-up.
Richard "King Richard", "Kermit" Brodeur, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Brodeur was born in Longueuil, Quebec and grew up in Montreal, Quebec.
Derek Leonard Roy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and the Edmonton Oilers. He was originally drafted in the second round, 32nd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
The Ed Chynoweth Trophy is awarded to the leading scorer at the Memorial Cup tournament. It was first awarded in 1996. In the case of a tie in points, the award is given to the player with the fewest games played. Should players tied in points have played the same number of games, the award goes to the player with the most goals scored.
In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two more levels, Tier I and Tier II. In 1974, the "Major Junior A" division of the OHA became the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) and began to operate independently of the OHA. Finally in 1980, the OMJHL became the Ontario Hockey League.
Conn Stafford Smythe was the son of Conn Smythe and president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team from 1961–1969 and from 1970 until his death.
Each year, the Western Hockey League awards a trophy to the Most Valuable Player in the Playoffs.
Sheldon Keefe is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He has also served as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, guiding the latter to their first Calder Cup championship in 2018.
The 1996 Memorial Cup occurred May 11–19 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario. It was the 78th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams were the host Peterborough Petes, who were also the champions of the Ontario Hockey League, as well as the OHL runner-up Guelph Storm, and the winners of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League, which were the Granby Prédateurs and the Brandon Wheat Kings. Granby won their first Memorial Cup, over Peterborough. It was the first time since 1971 that a team from the province of Quebec won the Cup.
The 1994 Memorial Cup was held May 14–22 at the Colisée de Laval in Laval, Quebec. It was the 76th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams were the host Laval Titan from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as well as the winners of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League, which were the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, North Bay Centennials and Kamloops Blazers. Kamloops won their second Memorial Cup, defeating Laval in the final game.
The 1990 Memorial Cup occurred May 5–13 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. It was the 72nd annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams were the Ontario Hockey League champion Oshawa Generals and runner-up Kitchener Rangers, as well as the winners of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League which were the Laval Titan and Kamloops Blazers. The original host team, the short-lived Dukes of Hamilton, were forced to drop out after only winning eleven games in the 1989–90 OHL season. Oshawa won their 4th Memorial Cup, defeating Kitchener in the final game.
The 1988 Memorial Cup occurred May 7–14 at the Centre Georges-Vézina in Chicoutimi, Quebec. It was the 70th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams were the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Hull Olympiques, the QMJHL runner-up, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, as well as the winners of the Western Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League which were the Medicine Hat Tigers and Windsor Spitfires. The original host team, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, did not participate as they did not make it far enough in the QMJHL playoffs. Although the Spitfires entered the Cup final having won 39 of the previous 40 games they had played, Medicine Hat won their second Memorial Cup in a row, defeating Windsor in the final game.
The 1972 Memorial Cup occurred May 8–14 at the Ottawa Civic Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was the 54th annual Memorial Cup competition, organized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to determine the champion of major junior A ice hockey. Participating teams were the winners of the Ontario Hockey Association, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League which were the Peterborough Petes, Cornwall Royals and Edmonton Oil Kings. Cornwall won their 1st Memorial Cup, defeating Peterborough in the final game.
Mitchell Marner is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected fourth overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Easton Cowan is a Canadian junior ice hockey player for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and a prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Cowan was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the first-round, 28th overall, of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.