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Conn Smythe Winners: Every Winner + Best Performances

Patrick Roy hoisting the Cup at 20 years old. Wayne Gretzky's 47 points in 18 games. Connor McDavid winning despite losing the Finals. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded to playoff MVPs since 1965, creating 60 years of legendary performances that defined championships and careers. Some playoff runs transcend statistics, becoming hockey immortality.

January 25, 2026

Complete Conn Smythe Winners List

Every playoff MVP from 1965 to present:

1965-1970: The Beginning

1965: Jean Beliveau (Montreal Canadiens)
1966: Roger Crozier (Detroit Red Wings) - Lost Finals
1967: Dave Keon (Toronto Maple Leafs)
1968: Glenn Hall (St. Louis Blues) - Lost Finals
1969: Serge Savard (Montreal Canadiens)
1970: Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins)

1971-1980: Expansion Era

1971: Ken Dryden (Montreal Canadiens)
1972: Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins)
1973: Yvan Cournoyer (Montreal Canadiens)
1974: Bernie Parent (Philadelphia Flyers)
1975: Bernie Parent (Philadelphia Flyers)
1976: Reggie Leach (Philadelphia Flyers) - Lost Finals
1977: Guy Lafleur (Montreal Canadiens)
1978: Larry Robinson (Montreal Canadiens)
1979: Bob Gainey (Montreal Canadiens)
1980: Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders)

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1981-1990: Islanders and Oilers

1981: Butch Goring (New York Islanders)
1982: Mike Bossy (New York Islanders)
1983: Billy Smith (New York Islanders)
1984: Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers)
1985: Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers)
1986: Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens)
1987: Ron Hextall (Philadelphia Flyers) - Lost Finals
1988: Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers)
1989: Al MacInnis (Calgary Flames)
1990: Bill Ranford (Edmonton Oilers)

1991-2000: Penguins and Devils

1991: Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
1992: Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
1993: Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens)
1994: Brian Leetch (New York Rangers)
1995: Claude Lemieux (New Jersey Devils)
1996: Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche)
1997: Mike Vernon (Detroit Red Wings)
1998: Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings)
1999: Joe Nieuwendyk (Dallas Stars)
2000: Scott Stevens (New Jersey Devils)

2001-2010: Modern Era

2001: Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche)
2002: Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings)
2003: Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Anaheim Ducks) - Lost Finals
2004: Brad Richards (Tampa Bay Lightning)
2006: Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes)
2007: Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks)
2008: Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings)
2009: Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2010: Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)

2011-2020: Recent Champions

2011: Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins)
2012: Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)
2013: Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
2014: Justin Williams (Los Angeles Kings)
2015: Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)
2016: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2017: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2018: Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
2019: Ryan O'Reilly (St. Louis Blues)
2020: Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning)

2021-Present:

2021: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning)
2022: Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
2023: Jonathan Marchessault (Vegas Golden Knights)
2024: Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) - Lost Finals
2025: Sam Bennett (Florida Panthers)

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Multiple Conn Smythe Winners

Players who won playoff MVP multiple times:

Patrick Roy: Three Conn Smythes

1986 (Montreal Canadiens)
1993 (Montreal Canadiens)
2001 (Colorado Avalanche)

Only three-time winner in history. Won with two different teams, spanning 15 years.

Two-Time Winners:

Bobby Orr: 1970, 1972 (Boston Bruins)
Bernie Parent: 1974, 1975 (Philadelphia Flyers)
Wayne Gretzky: 1985, 1988 (Edmonton Oilers)
Mario Lemieux: 1991, 1992 (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Sidney Crosby: 2016, 2017 (Pittsburgh Penguins)

All two-time winners won both Conn Smythes with same team, showing sustained excellence.

Losing-Team Conn Smythe Winners

Five players won despite Finals defeat:

1. Roger Crozier (1966, Detroit Red Wings) Goalie performed brilliantly despite losing to Montreal.

2. Glenn Hall (1968, St. Louis Blues) Legendary goalie couldn't overcome Montreal dynasty.

3. Reggie Leach (1976, Philadelphia Flyers) 19 goals in playoffs (tied record) but lost Finals to Montreal.

4. Ron Hextall (1987, Philadelphia Flyers) Heroic goaltending nearly beat Edmonton dynasty.

5. Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2003, Anaheim Ducks) .945 save percentage in losing effort against New Jersey.

6. Connor McDavid (2024, Edmonton Oilers) 42 points in 25 games, first losing-team winner in 21 years.

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Best Conn Smythe Performances Ever

The most dominant playoff MVP runs:

Wayne Gretzky, 1985 (Edmonton Oilers)

NHL-record 47 points in 18 games.

Stats:

47 points (17 goals, 30 assists)
2.61 points per game
Led Oilers to 15-3 record
Offensive gold standard

Why It's #1: Gretzky's 47 points remains untouchable nearly 40 years later. Modern playoff formats make this impossible to replicate.

Mario Lemieux, 1991 (Pittsburgh Penguins)

44 points in 15 games despite broken hand.

Stats:

44 points (16 goals, 28 assists)
Missed five games with broken hand
11 multi-point games
Back-to-back Conn Smythes (1991-1992)

Why It's Legendary: Lemieux dominated while injured, proving toughness matched skill. Would have challenged Gretzky if healthy entire run.

Patrick Roy, 1986, 1993, 2001

Three Conn Smythe Trophies across 15 years.

1986 Performance:

Age 20, youngest winner ever
Rookie led Montreal to Cup
Elite save percentage throughout

1993 Performance:

10 overtime wins in single playoff
Game 7 Finals victory
Clutch saves defined run

2001 Performance:

Beat Martin Brodeur in Game 7 Finals
Helped Ray Bourque finally win Cup
Third Conn Smythe at age 35

Legacy: Only three-time winner, defining clutch goaltending across two teams.

Tim Thomas, 2011 (Boston Bruins)

.940 save percentage at age 37.

Stats:

.940 save percentage overall
.968 save percentage in Finals
1.98 GAA
Ended 39-year Boston drought

Why It Matters: Thomas proved age doesn't limit peak performance, delivering historic goaltending when Bruins needed it most.

Bobby Orr, 1970 & 1972 (Boston Bruins)

Revolutionary defenseman at peak.

1970 Performance:

Famous "flying goal" in overtime
Revolutionized offensive defense
Iconic image in sports history

Why It's Iconic: Orr changed how defensemen play, winning Conn Smythe twice while redefining position.

Cale Makar, 2022 (Colorado Avalanche)

29 points in 20 games as defenseman.

Stats:

29 points (8 goals, 21 assists)
Dominated both ends of ice
Scored Cup-clinching goal
Elite two-way play

Modern Excellence: Makar showed modern defensemen can dominate offensively while playing elite defense.

Youngest and Oldest Winners

Age records for Conn Smythe:

Youngest Winner: Patrick Roy (20 years old, 1986)

Oldest Winner: Tim Thomas (37 years old, 2011)

Age Distribution: Most winners are 25-30 years old, peak physical and mental prime for hockey.

Position Breakdown

Conn Smythe winners by position:

Forwards: 30+ Winners Most common position due to offensive impact visibility.

Defensemen: 15+ Winners Bobby Orr, Cale Makar, Brian Leetch, Nicklas Lidstrom lead defensive winners.

Goalies: 15+ Winners Patrick Roy, Tim Thomas, Jonathan Quick, Andrei Vasilevskiy among elite.

Elite goaltending can single-handedly win Conn Smythe despite lower scoring.

Modern Conn Smythe Trends

Recent patterns in playoff MVP selection:

Offensive Production: Recent winners like McDavid (42 points), Makar (29 points) needed elite scoring.

Goalie Dominance: Vasilevskiy, Quick showed elite goaltending still wins MVP.

Team Success Required: Only six losing-team winners in 60 years shows Cup victory almost mandatory.

The Verdict

Patrick Roy's three Conn Smythe Trophies (1986, 1993, 2001) remain unmatched, defining clutch playoff goaltending across 15 years and two teams. Wayne Gretzky's 47 points in 1985 set offensive standard that will likely never be broken.

Mario Lemieux's back-to-back Conn Smythes (1991-1992) while playing with broken hand showed dominance through adversity. Tim Thomas's .940 save percentage at age 37 proved age doesn't limit peak performance.

Connor McDavid's 2024 losing-team Conn Smythe (42 points) joined rare club of players so dominant they won MVP despite Finals defeat.

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