# David Branch Player of the Year Award

The David Branch Player of the Year award is given out annually to the player judged to be the most outstanding in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). It is selected from three most valuable players of the respective leagues; the Red Tilson Trophy of Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The trophy was known as the CHL Player of the Year award until the 2019–20 season, when it was renamed for David Branch who served as president of the CHL from 1996 to 2019.
As of the 2023–24 selection, the award has been given to players in the OHL 20 times, players in the QMJHL 18 times, and players in the WHL 11 times. Sidney Crosby (2003–04, 2004–05) and Alexis Lafrenière (2018–19, 2019–20) are the only repeat winners.

## Winners

List of winners of the CHL Player of the Year award.
| Season | Winner | Team | League |
| 1974–75 | Ed Staniowski | Regina Pats | WCHL |
| 1975–76 | Peter Lee | Ottawa 67's | OMJHL |
| 1976–77 | Dale McCourt | St. Catharines Fincups | OMJHL |
| 1977–78 | Bobby Smith | Ottawa 67's | OMJHL |
| 1978–79 | Pierre Lacroix | Trois-Rivières Draveurs | QMJHL |
| 1979–80 | Doug Wickenheiser | Regina Pats | WHL |
| 1980–81 | Dale Hawerchuk | Cornwall Royals | QMJHL |
| 1981–82 | Dave Simpson | London Knights | OHL |
| 1982–83 | Pat LaFontaine | Verdun Juniors | QMJHL |
| 1983–84 | Mario Lemieux | Laval Voisins | QMJHL |
| 1984–85 | Dan Hodgson | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL |
| 1985–86 | Luc Robitaille | Hull Olympiques | QMJHL |
| 1986–87 | Rob Brown | Kamloops Blazers | WHL |
| 1987–88 | Joe Sakic | Swift Current Broncos | WHL |
| 1988–89 | Bryan Fogarty | Niagara Falls Thunder | OHL |
| 1989–90 | Mike Ricci | Peterborough Petes | OHL |
| 1990–91 | Eric Lindros | Oshawa Generals | OHL |
| 1991–92 | Charles Poulin | Saint-Hyacinthe Laser | QMJHL |
| 1992–93 | Pat Peake | Detroit Junior Red Wings | OHL |
| 1993–94 | Jason Allison | London Knights | OHL |
| 1994–95 | David Ling | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL |
| 1995–96 | Christian Dubé | Sherbrooke Castors | QMJHL |
| 1996–97 | Alyn McCauley | Ottawa 67's | OHL |
| 1997–98 | Sergei Varlamov | Swift Current Broncos | WHL |
| 1998–99 | Brian Campbell | Ottawa 67's | OHL |
| 1999–2000 | Brad Richards | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL |
| 2000–01 | Simon Gamache | Val-d'Or Foreurs | QMJHL |
| 2001–02 | Pierre-Marc Bouchard | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL |
| 2002–03 | Corey Locke | Ottawa 67's | OHL |
| 2003–04 | Sidney Crosby | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL |
| 2004–05 | Sidney Crosby | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL |
| 2005–06 | Alexander Radulov | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL |
| 2006–07 | John Tavares | Oshawa Generals | OHL |
| 2007–08 | Justin Azevedo | Kitchener Rangers | OHL |
| 2008–09 | Cody Hodgson | Brampton Battalion | OHL |
| 2009–10 | Jordan Eberle | Regina Pats | WHL |
| 2010–11 | Ryan Ellis | Windsor Spitfires | OHL |
| 2011–12 | Brendan Shinnimin | Tri-City Americans | WHL |
| 2012–13 | Jonathan Drouin | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL |
| 2013–14 | Anthony Mantha | Val-d'Or Foreurs | QMJHL |
| 2014–15 | Connor McDavid | Erie Otters | OHL |
| 2015–16 | Mitch Marner | London Knights | OHL |
| 2016–17 | Alex DeBrincat | Erie Otters | OHL |
| 2017–18 | Alex Barré-Boulet | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada | QMJHL |
| 2018–19 | Alexis Lafrenière | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL |
| 2019–20 | Alexis Lafrenière | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL |
| 2020–21 | Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic | Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021–22 | Logan Stankoven | Kamloops Blazers | WHL |
| 2022–23 | Connor Bedard | Regina Pats | WHL |
| 2023–24 | Jagger Firkus | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL |
* ↑ Staniowski is the only player to not also win his league's respective award (that award instead being won by Bryan Trottier in 1974–75). The award was known as the Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year for this inaugural year.