Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season; each individual voter ranks his 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.

Lady Byng, wife of Canada's Governor-General at the time, presented the Lady Byng Trophy 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.

After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight seasons, he was given the trophy to keep and Lady Byng donated another trophy in 1936.

After Lady Byng's death in 1949, the National Hockey League presented a new trophy, changing the name to Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Besides Boucher, a number of players have won the award multiple times -- including Wayne Gretzky, who won it five times, Red Kelly (four), and Bobby Bauer, Alex Delvecchio, Mike Bossy, Ron Francis, Pavel Datsyuk and Martin St. Louis (three). Because of Boucher's seven wins, the New York Rangers have won the award the most out of any club -- 15 times, followed by Detroit with 13, Toronto with nine, Chicago and Boston tied with eight, and Los Angeles with five.

No goaltender has won the award; Bill Quackenbush, Red Kelly and Brian Campbell are the only defensemen to do so.

PAST RECIPIENTS
Year	Player	Team
2016	anze kopitar	los angeles kings
2015	jiri hudler	calgary flames
2014	RYAN O'REILLY	COLORADO AVALANCHE
2013	Martin St. Louis	Tampa Bay Lightning
2012	brian campbell	florida panthers
2011	Martin St. Louis	Tampa Bay Lightning
2010	Martin St. Louis	Tampa Bay Lightning
2009	Pavel Datsyuk	Detroit Red Wings
2008	Pavel Datsyuk	Detroit Red Wings
2007	Pavel Datsyuk	Detroit Red Wings
2006	Pavel Datsyuk	Detroit Red Wings
2004	Brad Richards	Tampa Bay Lightning
2003	Alexander Mogilny	Toronto Maple Leafs
2002	Ron Francis	Carolina Hurricanes
2001	Joe Sakic	Colorado Avalanche
2000	Pavol Demitra	St. Louis Blues
1999	Wayne Gretzky	New York Rangers
1998	Ron Francis	Pittsburgh Penguins
1997	Paul Kariya	Anaheim Mighty Ducks
1996	Paul Kariya	Anaheim Mighty Ducks
1995	Ron Francis	Pittsburgh Penguins
1994	Wayne Gretzky	Los Angeles Kings
1993	Pierre Turgeon	New York Islanders
1992	Wayne Gretzky	Los Angeles Kings
1991	Wayne Gretzky	Los Angeles Kings
1990	Brett Hull	St. Louis Blues
1989	Joe Mullen	Calgary Flames
1988	Mats Naslund	Montreal Canadiens
1987	Joe Mullen	Calgary Flames
1986	Mike Bossy	New York Islanders
1985	Jari Kurri	Edmonton Oilers
1984	Mike Bossy	New York Islanders
1983	Mike Bossy	New York Islanders
1982	Rick Middleton	Boston Bruins
1981	Rick Kehoe	Pittsburgh Penguins
1980	Wayne Gretzky	Edmonton Oilers
1979	Bob MacMillan	Atlanta Flames
1978	Butch Goring	Los Angeles Kings
1977	Marcel Dionne	Los Angeles Kings
1976	Jean Ratelle	NY Rangers/Bruins
1975	Marcel Dionne	Detroit Red Wings
1974	John Bucyk	Boston Bruins
1973	Gilbert Perreault	Buffalo Sabres
1972	Jean Ratelle	New York Rangers
1971	John Bucyk	Boston Bruins
1970	Phil Goyette	St. Louis Blues
1969	Alex Delvecchio	Detroit Red Wings
1968	Stan Mikita	Chicago Blackhawks
1967	Stan Mikita	Chicago Blackhawks
1966	Alex Delvecchio	Detroit Red Wings
1965	Bobby Hull	Chicago Blackhawks
1964	Ken Wharram	Chicago Blackhawks
1963	Dave Keon	Toronto Maple Leafs
1962	Dave Keon	Toronto Maple Leafs
1961	Red Kelly	Toronto Maple Leafs
1960	Don McKenney	Boston Bruins
1959	Alex Delvecchio	Detroit Red Wings
1958	Camille Henry	New York Rangers
1957	Andy Hebenton	New York Rangers
1956	Earl Reibel	Detroit Red Wings
1955	Sid Smith	Toronto Maple Leafs
1954	Red Kelly	Detroit Red Wings
1953	Red Kelly	Detroit Red Wings
1952	Sid Smith	Toronto Maple Leafs
1951	Red Kelly	Detroit Red Wings
1950	Edgar Laprade	New York Rangers
1949	Bill Quackenbush	Detroit Red Wings
1948	Buddy O'Connor	New York Rangers
1947	Bobby Bauer	Boston Bruins
1946	Toe Blake	Montreal Canadiens
1945	Bill Mosienko	Chicago Blackhawks
1944	Clint Smith	Chicago Blackhawks
1943	Max Bentley	Chicago Blackhawks
1942	Syl Apps	Toronto Maple Leafs
1941	Bobby Bauer	Boston Bruins
1940	Bobby Bauer	Boston Bruins
1939	Clint Smith	New York Rangers
1938	Gordie Drillon	Toronto Maple Leafs
1937	Marty Barry	Detroit Red Wings
1936	Doc Romnes	Chicago Blackhawks
1935	Frank Boucher	New York Rangers
1934	Frank Boucher	New York Rangers
1933	Frank Boucher	New York Rangers
1932	Joe Primeau	Toronto Maple Leafs
1931	Frank Boucher	New York Rangers
1930	Frank Boucher	New York Rangers
1929	Frank Boucher	New York Rangers
1928	Frank Boucher	New York Rangers
1927	Billy Burch	New York Americans
1926	Frank Nighbor	Ottawa Senators
1925	Frank Nighbor	Ottawa Senators