Presidents' Trophy

The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded $350,000 in cash bonuses. The Presidents' Trophy has been awarded 27 times to 15 different teams since first being awarded in 1985. The most recent winner is the New York Rangers for the  NHL season.

 History 
The trophy was introduced at the start of the 1985–86 NHL season by the league's Board of Governors. Before the 1985–86 NHL season, the best team in the league during the regular season was allowed to hang a banner stating "NHL League Champions". The winning team is also awarded 350,000 Canadian dollars, to be shared between the team and its players. The Presidents' Trophy winner is guaranteed home-ice advantage in all four rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, provided the team goes that far, so it remains the most likely position to produce the cup winner.

From 1937 to 1968, the same rules now used for winning the Presidents' Trophy were used to award the Prince of Wales Trophy.  With the Modern Era expansion in the 1967–68 season and the start of the West Division, the Wales Trophy was awarded to the team that finished in first place in the East Division during the regular season. However, no trophy was awarded to the team that finished with the best overall record in the league during this period, and no trophy at all was awarded from the 1981–82 season through the 1984–85 season; the Wales and Campbell trophies were transferred to the playoff champions of those conferences in 1981–82. A cash bonus was given to each player on the team with the league's best regular-season record during these years, to which the Presidents' Trophy was added in 1985–86.

The only teams to have won the Presidents' Trophy more than twice are the Detroit Red Wings with six and the Washington Capitals with three. However, the Montreal Canadiens have finished first overall 21 times, the most times in league history, although they have yet to win the Presidents' Trophy. Detroit is second with 18 first-overall finishes.

Winners

Bold Team with the most points ever accumulated in a season during the trophy's existence.

YearWinnerPointsMarginPlayoff ResultEdmonton Oilers11991Lost Division Finals (CGY)Edmonton Oilers10662Won Stanley Cup (PHI)Calgary Flames10521Lost Division Finals (EDM)Calgary Flames11722Won Stanley Cup (MTL)Boston Bruins10121Lost Stanley Cup Finals (EDM)Chicago Blackhawks10611Lost Division Semifinals (MNS)New York Rangers10571Lost Division Finals (PIT)Pittsburgh Penguins119101Lost Division Finals (NYI)New York Rangers11262Won Stanley Cup (VAN)Detroit Red Wings070Only 48 games were played in the 1994–95 season due to a lockout. Detroit's 70 points in 48 games extrapolates to 122 points in 84 games, which was the standard season length at the time.51Lost Stanley Cup Finals (NJD)Detroit Red Wings131272Lost Conference Finals (COL)Colorado Avalanche10731Lost Conference Finals (DET)Dallas Stars10921Lost Conference Finals (DET)Dallas Stars11492Won Stanley Cup (BUF)St. Louis Blues11461Lost Conference Quarterfinals (SJS)Colorado Avalanche11872Won Stanley Cup (NJD)Detroit Red Wings116153Won Stanley Cup (CAR)Ottawa Senators11321Lost Conference Finals (NJD)Detroit Red Wings10934Lost Conference Semifinals (CGY) Detroit Red Wings124115Lost Conference Quarterfinals (EDM)Buffalo Sabres11301Lost Conference Finals (OTT) Detroit Red Wings11576Won Stanley Cup (PIT)San Jose Sharks11711Lost Conference Quarterfinals (ANA)Washington Capitals12181Lost Conference Quarterfinals (MTL)Vancouver Canucks117101Lost Stanley Cup Finals (BOS)Vancouver Canucks11122Lost Conference Quarterfinals (LAK)Chicago Blackhawks77Only 48 games were played in the 2012–13 season due to a lockout. Chicago's 77 points in 48 games extrapolates to 132 points in an 82-game season; this number would have eclipsed Detroit's record by one, and would have tied the record-high of points held by the 1976–77 Montreal Canadiens (the trophy did not exist at the time, and Montreal accomplished the feat in 80 games).52Won Stanley Cup (BOS)Boston Bruins11712Lost Second Round (MTL)New York Rangers11333Lost Conference Finals (TBL)Washington Capitals120112Lost Second Round (PIT)Washington Capitals11873Lost Second Round (PIT)Nashville Predators11731Lost Second Round (WPG)Tampa Bay Lightning128211Lost First Round (CBJ)Boston Bruins100Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins only played 70 games when the 2019–20 season regular season was curtailed. Under the special 2020 playoff format that was then conducted, with a round-robin tournament for the top four teams in each conference, the Bruins were not guaranteed home-ice advantage in all postseason rounds. Boston's 100 points in 70 games extrapolates to 117 points in an 82-game regular season.63Lost Second Round (TBL)Colorado Avalanche82Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 NHL season was shortened to 56 games. Colorado's 82 points in 56 games extrapolates to 120 points in an 82-game season. 0 (5 regulation wins)3Lost Second Round (VGK)Florida Panthers12231Lost Second Round (TBL)Boston Bruins135224Lost First Round (FLA)New York Rangers11414Lost Conference Finals (FLA)

Related pages
 Stanley Cup

 References 
General




Specific

Category:National Hockey League trophies and awards