Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy (French: Trophée Conn Smythe) 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.
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Awarded for | "Most valuable player for his team" in the Stanley Cup Playoffs |
| History | |
| First award | 1964–65 NHL season |
| First winner | Jean Beliveau |
| Most wins | Patrick Roy (3) |
| Most recent | Jonathan Marchessault Vegas Golden Knights |
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.
The most recent winner is Jonathan Marchessault.