Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability". The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 51 different players since it was first awarded in 1925. 
The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
==History==
The trophy is named in honour of Marie Evelyn Moreton (Lady Byng), wife of Viscount Byng of Vimy, a Vimy Ridge war hero who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926. Lady Byng, who was an avid hockey fan, decided to donate the trophy to the NHL in 1925.
She decided the trophy's first winner would be Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators. Late in the season, Lady Byng invited Nighbor to Rideau Hall, showed him the trophy, and asked him if the NHL would accept it as an award for its most gentlemanly player. When Nighbor said he thought it would, Lady Byng, much to Nighbor's surprise, awarded him the trophy.Frank Nighbor at the Hockey Hall of Fame site
After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times within eight years, Lady Byng was so impressed that she gave him the original trophy to keep. Lady Byng then donated a second trophy in 1935–36. When Lady Byng died in 1949 the NHL presented another trophy and changed the official name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. In 1962, the original trophy was destroyed in a fire at Boucher's home.Boucher, p. 12
Besides Boucher, a number of players have won the award multiple times, including Wayne Gretzky who won it five times, Red Kelly and Pavel Datsyuk with four wins, and Bobby Bauer, Alex Delvecchio, Mike Bossy and Ron Francis with three each. Because of Boucher's seven wins, the New York Rangers join Detroit as the only two clubs who have won the award fourteen times, followed by Toronto with nine wins, Chicago and Boston tied with eight, and Los Angeles with five.
Five players have won both the Lady Byng Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP in the same season: Buddy O'Connor (1947–48), Bobby Hull (1964–65), Stan Mikita (1966–67 and 1967–68), Wayne Gretzky (1979–80) and Joe Sakic (2000–01). Mikita is also the only player to win the Hart, Art Ross, and Lady Byng trophies in the same season, doing so consecutively in the 1966–67 and 1967–68 seasons. Gretzky, Bobby Hull, and Martin St. Louis are the other players who have won these three awards in their career, though not in the same season, while Bobby and Brett Hull are the only father-son combination to win the Hart and Lady Byng trophies.
Bill Quackenbush and Red Kelly are the only defensemen to have won the Lady Byng Trophy, with Kelly being the only one to win it multiple (3 as a defenseman, 4 overall) times. No defenseman has won in over fifty years; the closest this came to happening was in 2001 when Nicklas Lidström narrowly lost to Joe Sakic. No goaltender has ever won the award.
==List of Winners==
Positions Key
C 	Centre
RW	Right Wing
LW	Left Wing
D 	Defence
G 	Goaltender
Season 	Winner 	Team 	Position 	Win # 	GP	PIM	Avg
1924–25 	Frank Nighbor 	Ottawa Senators 	C 	1 	26	18 	0.69
1925–26 	Frank Nighbor 	Ottawa Senators 	C 	2 	35	40 	1.14
1926–27 	Billy Burch 	New York Americans 	C 	1 	43	40 	0.93
1927–28 	Frank Boucher 	New York Rangers 	C 	1 	44	15 	0.34
1928–29 	Frank Boucher 	New York Rangers 	C 	2 	44	8 	0.18
1929–30 	Frank Boucher 	New York Rangers 	C 	3 	42	16 	0.38
1930–31 	Frank Boucher 	New York Rangers 	C 	4 	44	20 	0.46
1931–32 	Joe Primeau 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	C 	1 	45	25 	0.56
1932–33 	Frank Boucher 	New York Rangers 	C 	5 	46	4 	0.09
1933–34 	Frank Boucher 	New York Rangers 	C 	6 	48	4 	0.08
1934–35 	Frank Boucher 	New York Rangers 	C 	7 	48	2 	0.04
1935–36 	Doc Romnes 	Chicago Black Hawks 	C 	1 	48	6 	0.13
1936–37 	Marty Barry 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	1 	47	6 	0.13
1937–38 	Gordie Drillon 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	RW 	1 	48	4 	0.08
1938–39 	Clint Smith 	New York Rangers 	C 	1 	48	2 	0.04
1939–40 	Bobby Bauer 	Boston Bruins 	RW 	1 	48	2 	0.04
1940–41 	Bobby Bauer 	Boston Bruins 	RW 	2 	48	2 	0.04
1941–42 	Syl Apps 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	C 	1 	38	0 	0.00
1942–43 	Max Bentley 	Chicago Black Hawks 	C 	1 	47	2 	0.04
1943–44 	Clint Smith 	Chicago Black Hawks 	C 	2 	50	4 	0.08
1944–45 	Bill Mosienko 	Chicago Black Hawks 	RW 	1 	50	0 	0.00
1945–46 	Toe Blake 	Montreal Canadiens 	LW 	1 	50	2 	0.04
1946–47 	Bobby Bauer 	Boston Bruins 	RW 	3 	58	4 	0.07
1947–48 	Buddy O'Connor 	New York Rangers 	C 	1 	60	8 	0.13
1948–49 	Bill Quackenbush 	Detroit Red Wings 	D 	1 	60	0 	0.00
1949–50 	Edgar Laprade 	New York Rangers 	C 	1 	60	2 	0.03
1950–51 	Red Kelly 	Detroit Red Wings 	D 	1 	70	24 	0.34
1951–52 	Sid Smith 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	LW 	1 	70	6 	0.09
1952–53 	Red Kelly 	Detroit Red Wings 	D 	2 	70	8 	0.11
1953–54 	Red Kelly 	Detroit Red Wings 	D 	3 	62	18 	0.29
1954–55 	Sid Smith 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	LW 	2 	70	14 	0.20
1955–56 	Earl Reibel 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	1 	68	10 	0.15
1956–57 	Andy Hebenton 	New York Rangers 	RW 	1 	70	10 	0.14
1957–58 	Camille Henry 	New York Rangers 	LW 	1 	70	2 	0.03
1958–59 	Alex Delvecchio 	Detroit Red Wings 	LW 	1 	70	6 	0.09
1959–60 	Don McKenney 	Boston Bruins 	C 	1 	70	28 	0.40
1960–61 	Red Kelly 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	C 	4 	64	12 	0.19
1961–62 	Dave Keon 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	C 	1 	64	2 	0.03
1962–63 	Dave Keon 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	C 	2 	68	2 	0.03
1963–64 	Kenny Wharram 	Chicago Black Hawks 	RW 	1 	70	18 	0.26
1964–65 	Bobby Hull 	Chicago Black Hawks 	LW 	1 	61	32 	0.52
1965–66 	Alex Delvecchio 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	2 	70	16 	0.23
1966–67 	Stan Mikita 	Chicago Black Hawks 	C 	1 	70	12 	0.17
1967–68 	Stan Mikita 	Chicago Black Hawks 	C 	2 	72	14 	0.19
1968–69 	Alex Delvecchio 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	3 	72	8 	0.11
1969–70 	Phil Goyette 	St. Louis Blues 	C 	1 	72	16 	0.22
1970–71 	Johnny Bucyk 	Boston Bruins 	LW 	1 	78	8 	0.10
1971–72 	Jean Ratelle 	New York Rangers 	C 	1 	63	4 	0.06
1972–73 	Gilbert Perreault 	Buffalo Sabres 	C 	1 	78	10 	0.13
1973–74 	Johnny Bucyk 	Boston Bruins 	LW 	2 	76	8 	0.11
1974–75 	Marcel Dionne 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	1 	80	14 	0.18
1975–76 	Jean Ratelle 	Boston Bruins 	C 	2 	80	18 	0.23
1976–77 	Marcel Dionne 	Los Angeles Kings 	C 	2 	80	12 	0.15
1977–78 	Robert "Butch" Goring 	Los Angeles Kings 	C 	1 	80	2 	0.03
1978–79 	Bob MacMillan 	Atlanta Flames 	C 	1 	77	14 	0.18
1979–80 	Wayne Gretzky 	Edmonton Oilers 	C 	1 	79	21 	0.27
1980–81 	Rick Kehoe 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	RW 	1 	80	6 	0.08
1981–82 	Rick Middleton 	Boston Bruins 	RW 	1 	75	12 	0.16
1982–83 	Mike Bossy 	New York Islanders 	RW 	1 	79	20 	0.25
1983–84 	Mike Bossy 	New York Islanders 	RW 	2 	67	8 	0.12
1984–85 	Jari Kurri 	Edmonton Oilers 	RW 	1 	73	30 	0.41
1985–86 	Mike Bossy 	New York Islanders 	RW 	3 	80	14 	0.18
1986–87 	Joe Mullen 	Calgary Flames 	RW 	1 	79	14 	0.18
1987–88 	Mats Naslund 	Montreal Canadiens 	LW 	1 	78	14 	0.18
1988–89 	Joe Mullen 	Calgary Flames 	RW 	2 	79	16 	0.20
1989–90 	Brett Hull 	St. Louis Blues 	RW 	1 	80	24 	0.30
1990–91 	Wayne Gretzky 	Los Angeles Kings 	C 	2 	78	16 	0.21
1991–92 	Wayne Gretzky 	Los Angeles Kings 	C 	3 	74	34 	0.46
1992–93 	Pierre Turgeon 	New York Islanders 	C 	1 	83	26 	0.31
1993–94 	Wayne Gretzky 	Los Angeles Kings 	C 	4 	81	20 	0.25
1994–95 	Ron Francis 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	C 	1 	44	18 	0.41
1995–96 	Paul Kariya 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 	LW 	1 	82	20 	0.24
1996–97 	Paul Kariya 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 	LW 	2 	69	6 	0.09
1997–98 	Ron Francis 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	C 	2 	81	20 	0.25
1998–99 	Wayne Gretzky 	New York Rangers 	C 	5 	70	14 	0.20
1999–2000	Pavol Demitra 	St. Louis Blues 	C 	1 	71	8 	0.11
2000–01 	Joe Sakic 	Colorado Avalanche 	C 	1 	82	30 	0.37
2001–02 	Ron Francis 	Carolina Hurricanes 	C 	3 	80	18 	0.23
2002–03 	Alexander Mogilny 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	RW 	1 	73	12 	0.16
2003–04 	Brad Richards 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	C 	1 	82	12 	0.15
2004–05 	Not awarded due to the lockout.	Not awarded due to the lockout.	Not awarded due to the lockout.	Not awarded due to the lockout.	 	 	
2005–06 	Pavel Datsyuk 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	1 	75	22 	0.29
2006–07 	Pavel Datsyuk 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	2 	79	20 	0.25
2007–08 	Pavel Datsyuk 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	3 	82	20 	0.24
2008–09 	Pavel Datsyuk 	Detroit Red Wings 	C 	4 	81	22 	0.27
2009–10 	Martin St. Louis 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	RW 	1 	82	12 	0.15
2010–11 	Martin St. Louis 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	RW 	2 	82	12 	0.15
2011–12 	Brian Campbell 	Florida Panthers 	D 	1 	82	6 	0.07
2012–13 	Martin St. Louis 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	RW 	3 	48	14 	0.29
2013–14 	Ryan O'Reilly 	Colorado Avalanche 	C 	1 	80	2 	0.03
2014–15 	Jiri Hudler 	Calgary Flames 	RW 	1 	78	14 	0.18
2015–16 	Anze Kopitar 	Los Angeles Kings 	C 	1 	81	16 	0.20
2016–17 	Johnny Gaudreau 	Calgary Flames 	LW 	1 	72	4 	0.06
2017–18 	William Karlsson 	Vegas Golden Knights 	C 	1 	82	12 	0.15
2018–19 	Aleksander Barkov, Jr. 	Florida Panthers 	C 	1 	82	8 	0.10
2019–20 	Nathan MacKinnon 	Colorado Avalanche 	C 	1 	69	12 	0.17
2020–21 	Jaccob Slavin 	Carolina Hurricanes 	D 	1 	52	2 	0.04
2021–22 	Kyle Connor 	Winnipeg Jets 	LW 	1 	79	4 	0.05
2022–23 	Anze Kopitar 	Los Angeles Kings 	C 	2 	82	4 	0.05
2023–24 	Jaccob Slavin 	Carolina Hurricanes 	D 	2 	81	8 	0.10
==See Also==
*List of National Hockey League awards
*1963-64 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
==References==
;General
* 
*Lady Byng Memorial Trophy history at NHL.com
*Lady Byng Memorial Trophy history at Legends of Hockey.net
;Specific
Category:NHL trophies and awards