The National Hockey League (NHL) is the organization responsible for professional hockey in North America. It was founded at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal on November 26, 1917, following the dissolution of the National Hockey Association (NHA), founded in 1909 in Renfrew, Ontario. The NHL gives out many awards annually to honor the best-performing teams and players.
The Stanley Cup is one of the oldest awards of all, first presented in 1893. The Cup is awarded to the team that wins the NHL playoffs. The NHL organizes a special awards ceremony in late June after the playoff season. This is where they give out most of the awards and announce the all-star selections.
List of NHL Team Awards
The NHL’s earliest team trophy was the O'Brien Cup, created in 1910 and awarded to the NHL playoff champion until 1927. It later became the Canadian Division trophy, then the Stanley Cup runner-up award, and was retired in 1950.
The Prince of Wales Trophy, introduced in 1925, was given to playoff champions, then American Division winners, and eventually the Eastern Conference playoff champions, which it still honors today.
The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl was introduced in 1967 and is awarded to the Western Conference playoff champion. The newest team award is the Presidents’ Trophy, given to the team with the best regular season record since 1986.
| Trophy | Creation Year | Holder (as of May 2025) |
| Stanley Cup | 1893 | Florida Panthers |
| Prince of Wales Trophy | 1925–26 | Florida Panthers |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl | 1967–68 | Edmonton Oilers |
| Presidents' Trophy | 1985–86 | Winnipeg Jets |
| O'Brien Trophy | 1910 | Not awarded since 1949–50 (Last Awardee: New York Rangers) |
List of NHL Individual Awards
The first NHL individual award was the Hart Trophy, given in 1924 to the league’s most valuable player. In 1960, it was replaced by the Hart Memorial Trophy. The Lady Byng Trophy followed in 1925 for sportsmanship, and the Vezina Trophy came in 1927 for the top goaltender. The Conn Smythe Trophy was added in 1965 for the playoff MVP.
Today, the NHL has 18 annual individual awards, with the newest being the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, introduced in 2010. Some trophies, like the Art Ross, Richard, and Jennings, are based on statistics, while others are decided by votes. The NHL has named First and Second All-Star Teams since 1930–31 and an All-Rookie Team since 1983.
| Award | Created | Holder (as of May 2025) |
| Hart Memorial Trophy | 1923–24 | Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy | 1924–25 | Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes) |
| Vezina Trophy | 1926–27 | Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) |
| Calder Memorial Trophy | 1936–37 | Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks) |
| Art Ross Trophy | 1947–48 | Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy | 1953–54 | Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) |
| Conn Smythe Trophy | 1965 | Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy | 1967–68 | Connor Ingram (Arizona Coyotes) |
| Ted Lindsay Award | 1970–71 | Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) |
| Jack Adams Award | 1973–74 | Rick Tocchet (Vancouver Canucks) |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy | 1977–78 | Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) |
| William M. Jennings Trophy | 1981–82 | Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award | 1982–83 | Last awarded in 2007–08 |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy | 1987–88 | Anders Lee (New York Islanders) |
| NHL Foundation Player Award | 1997–98 | Last awarded in 2016–17 |
| Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy | 1998–99 | Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers) |
| Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award | 1999–2000 | Last awarded in 2006–07 |
| Mark Messier Leadership Award | 2006–07 | Jacob Trouba (New York Rangers) |
| Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award | 2009–10 | Jim Nill (Dallas Stars) |
| E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence | 2015–16 | Michael Hage (Chicago Steel) |
FAQ's on National Hockey League Awards
A. The Florida Panthers won the 2024 Stanley Cup.
A. The trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct.
A. The Montreal Canadiens have won the most Stanley Cups in the NHL (24 times).
A. The Lester B. Pearson Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season.
A. The NHL has 18 annual individual trophies and awards.
