
History of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The trophy was donated in 1925 by Lady Evelyn Byng, wife of Governor General Byng. Both she and her husband loved sports and became hockey fans after moving to Ottawa, where they attended Senators games. She decided to donate a trophy that would promote sportsmanship and gentlemanly play, qualities she greatly admired.
In March 1925, Lady Byng wrote to Frank Calder, president of the NHL, offering to present an annual “challenge cup” for the “cleanest and most effective player in the league.” It was only the second individual award in the league, after the Hart Trophy for the league’s most valuable player (first awarded in 1924).
“Lady Byng Gives Cup to Elevate the Game In the Pro. League”
Desiring to raise the standard of professional hockey, Lady Byng of Vimy proposes to present a challenge cup to be held each year by the cleanest and most effective player in the league.
In a letter to Frank Calder the wife of the Governor-General says:
“Feeling a great desire to help your effort to ‘clean hockey’ and eliminate the needless rough play that at present is a threat to the game, and also to leave a tangible record of the enjoyment I personally have had from the game during our sojourn in Canada, I am writing to ask if you will let me offer a challenge cup for the man on any team in the league who, while being thoroughly effective, is also a thoroughly clean player.
“I am convinced that the public desires good sport, not the injuring of players, and if by donating this challenge cup I can in any way help towards this end it will give me a great deal of pleasure.
“(Signed) Evelyn Byng of Vimy.”
It is understood that the cup will be for annual competition among the players. The same jury of sports editors which selects the winner of the Hart Trophy will decide which player deserves the cup.
(The Globe, 9 March 1925)
Lady Byng Trophy: Early Winners
Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators won the trophy in both 1925 and 1926, while Billy Burch of the New York Americans received it in 1927. The following year, Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won his first Lady Byng Trophy. In 1935, after Boucher had won the trophy seven times, he was given it to keep, and Lady Byng donated another trophy to the league. According to an article in the Globe that year, Boucher “announced he will not allow himself to be considered eligible for the trophy in the future, so that others may have a chance at the award.” (The original trophy was destroyed in a fire at Boucher’s home in 1962.)
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
After Lady Byng died in 1949, the NHL presented a new trophy and renamed it the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Wayne Gretzky has won the trophy five times, second only to Boucher. Red Kelly and Pavel Datsyuk won four times each, followed by three-time winners Bobby Bauer, Alex Delvecchio, Mike Bossy, Ron Francis and Martin St. Louis.
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Winners
Year | Player | Team |
1925 | Frank Nighbor | Ottawa Senators |
1926 | Frank Nighbor | Ottawa Senators |
1927 | Harry Wilfred “Billy” Burch | New York Americans |
1928 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1929 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1930 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1931 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1932 | Joe Primeau | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1933 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1934 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1935 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1936 | Elwin Nelson “Doc” Romnes | Chicago Black Hawks |
1937 | Marty Barry | Detroit Red Wings |
1938 | Gordie Drillon | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1939 | Clint Smith | New York Rangers |
1940 | Bobby Bauer | Boston Bruins |
1941 | Bobby Bauer | Boston Bruins |
1942 | Syl Apps | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1943 | Max Bentley | Chicago Black Hawks |
1944 | Clint Smith | Chicago Black Hawks |
1945 | Bill Mosienko | Chicago Black Hawks |
1946 | Joseph Hector “Toe” Blake | Montreal Canadiens |
1947 | Bobby Bauer | Boston Bruins |
1948 | Herbert William “Buddy” O’Connor | New York Rangers |
1949 | Hubert George “Bill” Quackenbush | Detroit Red Wings |
1950 | Edgar Laprade | New York Rangers |
1951 | Leonard Patrick “Red” Kelly | Detroit Red Wings |
1952 | Sid Smith | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1953 | Leonard Patrick “Red” Kelly | Detroit Red Wings |
1954 | Leonard Patrick “Red” Kelly | Detroit Red Wings |
1955 | Sid Smith | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1956 | Earl “Dutch” Reibel | Detroit Red Wings |
1957 | Andy Hebenton | New York Rangers |
1958 | Camille Henry | New York Rangers |
1959 | Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings |
1960 | Don McKenney | Boston Bruins |
1961 | Leonard Patrick “Red” Kelly | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1962 | Dave Keon | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1963 | Dave Keon | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1964 | Ken Wharram | Chicago Black Hawks |
1965 | Bobby Hull | Chicago Black Hawks |
1966 | Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings |
1967 | Stan Mikita | Chicago Black Hawks |
1968 | Stan Mikita | Chicago Black Hawks |
1969 | Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings |
1970 | Phil Goyette | St. Louis Blues |
1971 | John Bucyk | Boston Bruins |
1972 | Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers |
1973 | Gilbert Perreault | Buffalo Sabres |
1974 | John Bucyk | Boston Bruins |
1975 | Marcel Dionne | Detroit Red Wings |
1976 | Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers/Boston Bruins |
1977 | Marcel Dionne | Los Angeles Kings |
1978 | Robert Thomas “Butch” Goring | Los Angeles Kings |
1979 | Bob MacMillan | Atlanta Flames |
1980 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers |
1981 | Rick Kehoe | Pittsburgh Penguins |
1982 | Rick Middleton | Boston Bruins |
1983 | Mike Bossy | New York Islanders |
1984 | Mike Bossy | New York Islanders |
1985 | Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers |
1986 | Mike Bossy | New York Islanders |
1987 | Joe Mullen | Calgary Flames |
1988 | Mats Naslund | Montreal Canadiens |
1989 | Joe Mullen | Calgary Flames |
1990 | Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues |
1991 | Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings |
1992 | Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings |
1993 | Pierre Turgeon | New York Islanders |
1994 | Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings |
1995 | Ron Francis | Pittsburgh Penguins |
1996 | Paul Kariya | Anaheim Mighty Ducks |
1997 | Paul Kariya | Anaheim Mighty Ducks |
1998 | Ron Francis | Pittsburgh Penguins |
1999 | Wayne Gretzky | New York Rangers |
2000 | Pavol Demitra | St. Louis Blues |
2001 | Joe Sakic | Colorado Avalanche |
2002 | Ron Francis | Carolina Hurricanes |
2003 | Alexander Mogilny | Toronto Maple Leafs |
2004 | Brad Richards | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2005 | Season cancelled due to lockout | |
2006 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2007 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2008 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2009 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2010 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2011 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2012 | Brian Campbell | Florida Panthers |
2013 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2014 | Ryan O’Reilly | Colorado Avalanche |
2015 | Jiri Hudler | Calgary Flames |
2016 | Anze Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings |
2017 | Johnny Gaudreau | Calgary Flames |
2018 | William Karlsson | Vegas Golden Knights |
2019 | Aleksander Barkov | Florida Panthers |
2020 | Nathan MacKinnon | Colorado Avalanche |
2021 | Jaccob Slavin | Caroline Hurricanes |
2022 | Kyle Connor | Winnipeg Jets |