When was the last time a defenseman was named NHL MVP? A look at the history of Hart Memorial Trophy

The Hart Trophy is one of the most coveted awards in all of the NHL, but defensemen rarely win it.

The Hart Trophy is awarded to the MVP of the regular season and the reigning winner is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews. Connor McDavid is expected to win it this summer to extend the streak of forwards winning it to eight straight seasons.

But, the last time a defenseman won the Hart Trophy was Chris Pronger during the 1999-00 season.

---

Last 10 Hart Trophy Winners

During the 1999-00 season, Chris Pronger was in his fourth season in the NHL and was playing with the St. Louis Blues. He was a hard-hitting defenseman who was solid defensively and offensively.

In that season, Pronger played in 79 games and put up 62 points. Although, the stats don't wow anyway, the Canadian was a massive reason the Blues won the Presidents Trophy. St. Louis also wasn't an offensive team as Pronger finished third on the team in points as well as playing a key role defensively.

However, many fans have been critical of Pronger winning the NHL's MVP for the 1999-00 season, and even ESPN named him one of the least deserving MVP winners.

Prior to Pronger, the last time a defenseman won the Hart Trophy was Bobby Orr in 1971-72 which was his third straight year. Although Orr was a defenseman, he was one of the best offensive players in the NHL, so it wasn't a surprise to see him win the MVP multiple times.

Ultimately, in the history of the Hart Trophy, only eight defensemen have won the NHL's MVP award, with some winning multiple times.

The streak of no defenseman winning the Hart Trophy will also continue as Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk, and David Pastrnak were announced as the three nominees for the 2022-23 season.

Last season, it was Auston Matthews who won the Hart Trophy after he scored 60 goals. Before that, it was McDavid winning the NHL MVP for the second time.

The last 10 Hart Trophy winners are as follows:

• 2021-22: Auston Matthews
• 2020-21: Connor McDavid
• 2019-20: Leon Draisitl
• 2018-19: Nikita Kucherov
• 2017-18: Taylor Hall
• 2016-17: Connor McDavid
• 2015-16: Patrick Kane
• 2014-15: Carey Price
• 2013-14: Sidney Crosby
• 2012-13: Alexander Ovechkin