Frank Nighbor Julius Francis " Frank " Nighbor ( January 26 , 1893 in Pembroke , Ontario – April 13 , 1966 ) was a Canadian professional forward who played for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and National Hockey Association ( NHA ) and Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL , Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA and Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association ( PCHA ) . An excellent backchecker , his poke check and bodychecking abilities thwarted enemy forwards ' scoring attempts . Despite his somewhat high penalty totals , he was a clean player and one of the last 60 minute hockey players . For his contributions on the ice , Nighbor was the first player ever to receive the Hart Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy . Playing career . Frank first played professional for the Port Arthur Bearcats of the Northern Ontario Hockey League in 1911 . Fellow Pembroke native Harry Cameron was invited to play for Port Arthur but refused to go without Nighbor . The club agreed to bring Nighbor along , but they left him on the bench until injuries gave him an opportunity to play . He made the most of his opportunity by registering six goals in his first appearance . In 1912 , he joined the new Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA where he scored 25 goals in 18 games . He only played the one season in Toronto , jumping to Vancouver of the PCHA the following season for two seasons , and was an important member of the Millionaires team which won the Stanley Cup over the Ottawa Senators in 1915 . He returned east after the Stanley Cup series and joined the Senators , whom he would play for until 1930 , an important part of the dynasty of the 1920s winning 4 more cups in 1920 , 1921 , 1923 , and 1927 . He had his best season in 1916 – 17 , scoring 41 goals in 19 games , finishing tied for the league lead with Joe Malone . In 1919 – 20 he would score 26 goals and 15 assists in just 23 games , then had a further 6 goals in 5 playoff games and led the Senators to their first Cup in the NHL . Frank would win the Stanley Cup again with Ottawa in 1921 1923 and 1927 . As a member of the Senators , Frank was the first recipient of the Hart Trophy , as well as the first recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy . In 1929 – 30 , Frank would be traded to Toronto , as part of the fire sale of the failing Senators for Danny Cox and cash . He played 22 games for the Maple Leafs and retired in the off - season . Playing style . Frank was considered a master of the " sweep check , " ( today called the " poke check " ) , taking the puck off the opponent ' s stick in a way never seen before . He was skilled and crafty with the puck and a good scorer . He impressed with his sportsmanship , inspiring Lady Byng to donate the Lady Byng Trophy in his honour to the " player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability . and she presented it personally to him . Post - playing career . Frank coached for the Buffalo Bisons and London Tecumsehs of the International Hockey League and the New York Rovers of the Eastern Hockey League . He would later turn to an insurance business he was a partner in and run it until he became ill . He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947 . He has also been inducted into Canada ' s Sports Hall of Fame and the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame . In 1998 he was ranked number 100 on List of 100 greatest hockey players by The Hockey News . He died of cancer on April 13 , 1966 in Pembroke , Ontario at the age of 73 .