
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded each NHL season to the player who best combines sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and high-level play. It was first awarded in 1924–25. A replacement was donated in 1936, and after Lady Byng’s death in 1949, it was renamed the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes won the 2023–24 Lady Byng Trophy, his second after also winning in 2020–21. He led all NHL defensemen in takeaways (71), took only eight penalty minutes in over 1,600 minutes played, and recorded 37 points in 81 games. Slavin became Carolina’s all-time leader in assists and points by a defenseman during the season.
List of NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Winners
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy was first given to Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators by Lady Byng herself. Frank Boucher won it seven times from 1928 to 1935 and was allowed to keep the original trophy, as per the official website of the NHL.
Wayne Gretzky won it five times, while Red Kelly and Pavel Datsyuk each won four. Martin St. Louis, Mike Bossy, Alex Delvecchio, Bobby Bauer, and Ron Francis won it three times each. The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings lead all teams with 14 wins. Toronto follows with nine, while Chicago and Boston have eight each, and Los Angeles has six.
No goalie has ever won the trophy. Only a few defensemen have received it: Bill Quackenbush (1949), Red Kelly (multiple times as both defenseman and forward), Brian Campbell (2012), and Jaccob Slavin (2021, 2024).
Season | Winner | Team |
2023-24 | Jaccob Slavin | Carolina Hurricanes |
2022-23 | Anze Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings |
2021-22 | Kyle Connor | Winnipeg Jets |
2020-21 | Jacob Slavin | Carolina Hurricanes |
2019-20 | Nathan MacKinnon | Colorado Avalanche |
2018-19 | Aleksander Barkov | Florida Panthers |
2017-18 | William Karlsson | Vegas Golden Knights |
2016-17 | Johnny Gaudreau | Calgary Flames |
2015-16 | Anze Kopitar | Los Angeles Kings |
2014-15 | Jiri Hudler | Calgary Flames |
2013-14 | Ryan O'Reilly | Colorado Avalanche |
2012-13 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2011-12 | Brian Campbell | Florida Panthers |
2010-11 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2009-10 | Martin St. Louis | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2008-09 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2007-08 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2006-07 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2005-06 | Pavel Datsyuk | Detroit Red Wings |
2003-04 | Brad Richards | Tampa Bay Lightning |
2002-03 | Alexander Mogilny | Toronto Maple Leafs |
2001-02 | Ron Francis | Carolina Hurricanes |
2000-01 | Joe Sakic | Colorado Avalanche |
1999-2000 | Pavol Demitra | St. Louis Blues |
1998-99 | Wayne Gretzky | New York Rangers |
1997-98 | Ron Francis | Pittsburgh Penguins |
1996-97 | Paul Kariya | Anaheim Mighty Ducks |
1995-96 | Paul Kariya | Anaheim Mighty Ducks |
1994-95 | Ron Francis | Pittsburgh Penguins |
1993-94 | Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings |
1992-93 | Pierre Turgeon | New York Islanders |
1991-92 | Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings |
1990-91 | Wayne Gretzky | Los Angeles Kings |
1989-90 | Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues |
1988-89 | Joe Mullen | Calgary Flames |
1987-88 | Mats Naslund | Montreal Canadiens |
1986-87 | Joe Mullen | Calgary Flames |
1985-86 | Mike Bossy | New York Islanders |
1984-85 | Jari Kurri | Edmonton Oilers |
1983-84 | Mike Bossy | New York Islanders |
1982-83 | Mike Bossy | New York Islanders |
1981-82 | Rick Middleton | Boston Bruins |
1980-81 | Rick Kehoe | Pittsburgh Penguins |
1979-80 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers |
1978-79 | Bob MacMillan | Atlanta Flames |
1977-78 | Butch Goring | Los Angeles Kings |
1976-77 | Marcel Dionne | Los Angeles Kings |
1975-76 | Jean Ratelle | Boston Bruins |
1974-75 | Marcel Dionne | Detroit Red Wings |
1973-74 | John Bucyk | Boston Bruins |
1972-73 | Gilbert Perreault | Buffalo Sabres |
1971-72 | Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers |
1970-71 | John Bucyk | Boston Bruins |
1969-70 | Phil Goyette | St. Louis Blues |
1968-69 | Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings |
1967-68 | Stan Mikita | Chicago Blackhawks |
1966-67 | Stan Mikita | Chicago Blackhawks |
1965-66 | Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings |
1964-65 | Bobby Hull | Chicago Blackhawks |
1963-64 | Ken Wharram | Chicago Blackhawks |
1962-63 | Dave Keon | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1961-62 | Dave Keon | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1960-61 | Red Kelly | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1959-60 | Don McKenney | Boston Bruins |
1958-59 | Alex Delvecchio | Detroit Red Wings |
1957-58 | Camille Henry | New York Rangers |
1956-57 | Andy Hebenton | New York Rangers |
1955-56 | Earl Reibel | Detroit Red Wings |
1954-55 | Sid Smith | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1953-54 | Red Kelly | Detroit Red Wings |
1952-53 | Red Kelly | Detroit Red Wings |
1951-52 | Sid Smith | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1950-51 | Red Kelly | Detroit Red Wings |
1949-50 | Edgar Laprade | New York Rangers |
1948-49 | Bill Quackenbush | Detroit Red Wings |
1947-48 | Buddy O'Connor | New York Rangers |
1946-47 | Bobby Bauer | Boston Bruins |
1945-46 | Toe Blake | Montreal Canadiens |
1944-45 | Bill Mosienko | Chicago Blackhawks |
1943-44 | Clint Smith | Chicago Blackhawks |
1942-43 | Max Bentley | Chicago Blackhawks |
1941-42 | Syl Apps | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1940-41 | Bobby Bauer | Boston Bruins |
1939-40 | Bobby Bauer | Boston Bruins |
1938-39 | Clint Smith | New York Rangers |
1937-38 | Gordie Drillon | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1936-37 | Marty Barry | Detroit Red Wings |
1935-36 | Doc Romnes | Chicago Blackhawks |
1934-35 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1933-34 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1932-33 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1931-32 | Joe Primeau | Toronto Maple Leafs |
1930-31 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1929-30 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1928-29 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1927-28 | Frank Boucher | New York Rangers |
1926-27 | Billy Burch | New York Americans |
1925-26 | Frank Nighbor | Ottawa Senators |
1924-25 | Frank Nighbor | Ottawa Senators |
FAQ's Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
A. Frank Nighbor is the first player to win the Lady Byng trophy seven times.
A. The Vegas Golden Knights' Jack Eichel, the Los Angeles Kings' Anze Kopitar, and the Tampa Bay Lightning's Brayden Point were named finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy.
A. The award was originally named the Lady Byng Trophy, in honor of Marie Evelyn Moreton, wife of Viscount Byng of Vimy.
A. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submit ballots for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season.
A. Wayne Gretzky won the Lady Byng trophy 5 times.