The closest vote for the trophy was in 2002, when Jose Theodore and Jarome Iginla tied; Theodore won because he had more first-place votes. In 1999, Chris Pronger won by one point over Jaromir Jagr; and in 1990, Mark Messier won by two points over Ray Bourque.
| Season |
Winner |
Team |
Position |
Win # |
| 1923–24 |
Nighbor, FrankFrank Nighbor |
Ottawa Senators |
C |
1 |
| 1924–25 |
Burch, BillyBilly Burch |
Hamilton Tigers |
C |
1 |
| 1925–26 |
Stewart, NelsNels Stewart |
Montreal Maroons |
C |
1 |
| 1926–27 |
Gardiner, HerbHerb Gardiner |
Montreal Canadiens |
D |
1 |
| 1927–28 |
Morenz, HowieHowie Morenz |
Montreal Canadiens |
C |
1 |
| 1928–29 |
Worters, Roy "Shrimp"Roy "Shrimp" Worters |
New York Americans |
G |
1 |
| 1929–30 |
Stewart, NelsNels Stewart |
Montreal Maroons |
C |
2 |
| 1930–31 |
Morenz, HowieHowie Morenz |
Montreal Canadiens |
C |
2 |
| 1931–32 |
Morenz, HowieHowie Morenz |
Montreal Canadiens |
C |
3 |
| 1932–33 |
Shore, EddieEddie Shore |
Boston Bruins |
D |
1 |
| 1933–34 |
Joliat, AureleAurele Joliat |
Montreal Canadiens |
LW |
1 |
| 1934–35 |
Shore, EddieEddie Shore |
Boston Bruins |
D |
2 |
| 1935–36 |
Shore, EddieEddie Shore |
Boston Bruins |
D |
3 |
| 1936–37 |
Siebert, BabeBabe Siebert |
Montreal Canadiens |
D |
1 |
| 1937–38 |
Shore, EddieEddie Shore |
Boston Bruins |
D |
4 |
| 1938–39 |
Blake, ToeToe Blake |
Montreal Canadiens |
LW |
1 |
| 1939–40 |
Goodfellow, EbbieEbbie Goodfellow |
Detroit Red Wings |
D |
1 |
| 1940–41 |
Cowley, BillBill Cowley |
Boston Bruins |
C |
1 |
| 1941–42 |
Anderson, TommyTommy Anderson |
Brooklyn Americans |
D |
1 |
| 1942–43 |
Cowley, BillBill Cowley |
Boston Bruins |
C |
2 |
| 1943–44 |
Pratt, BabeBabe Pratt |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
D |
1 |
| 1944–45 |
Lach, ElmerElmer Lach |
Montreal Canadiens |
C |
1 |
| 1945–46 |
Bentley, MaxMax Bentley |
Chicago Black Hawks |
C |
1 |
| 1946–47 |
Richard, MauriceMaurice Richard |
Montreal Canadiens |
RW |
1 |
| 1947–48 |
O'Connor, BuddyBuddy O'Connor |
New York Rangers |
C |
1 |
| 1948–49 |
Abel, SidSid Abel |
Detroit Red Wings |
C |
1 |
| 1949–50 |
Rayner, ChuckChuck Rayner |
New York Rangers |
G |
1 |
| 1950–51 |
Schmidt, MiltMilt Schmidt |
Boston Bruins |
C |
1 |
| 1951–52 |
Howe, GordieGordie Howe |
Detroit Red Wings |
RW |
1 |
| 1952–53 |
Howe, GordieGordie Howe |
Detroit Red Wings |
RW |
2 |
| 1953–54 |
Rollins, AlAl Rollins |
Chicago Black Hawks |
G |
1 |
| 1954–55 |
Kennedy, TedTed Kennedy |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
C |
1 |
| 1955–56 |
Beliveau, JeanJean Beliveau |
Montreal Canadiens |
C |
1 |
| 1956–57 |
Howe, GordieGordie Howe |
Detroit Red Wings |
RW |
3 |
| 1957–58 |
Howe, GordieGordie Howe |
Detroit Red Wings |
RW |
4 |
| 1958–59 |
Bathgate, AndyAndy Bathgate |
New York Rangers |
RW |
1 |
| 1959–60 |
Howe, GordieGordie Howe |
Detroit Red Wings |
RW |
5 |
| 1960–61 |
Geoffrion, BernieBernie Geoffrion |
Montreal Canadiens |
RW |
1 |
| 1961–62 |
Plante, JacquesJacques Plante |
Montreal Canadiens |
G |
1 |
| 1962–63 |
Howe, GordieGordie Howe |
Detroit Red Wings |
RW |
6 |
| 1963–64 |
Beliveau, JeanJean Beliveau |
Montreal Canadiens |
C |
2 |
| 1964–65 |
Hull, BobbyBobby Hull |
Chicago Black Hawks |
LW |
1 |
| 1965–66 |
Hull, BobbyBobby Hull |
Chicago Black Hawks |
LW |
2 |
| 1966–67 |
Mikita, StanStan Mikita |
Chicago Black Hawks |
C |
1 |
| 1967–68 |
Mikita, StanStan Mikita |
Chicago Black Hawks |
C |
2 |
| 1968–69 |
Esposito, PhilPhil Esposito |
Boston Bruins |
C |
1 |
| 1969–70 |
Orr, BobbyBobby Orr |
Boston Bruins |
D |
1 |
| 1970–71 |
Orr, BobbyBobby Orr |
Boston Bruins |
D |
2 |
| 1971–72 |
Orr, BobbyBobby Orr |
Boston Bruins |
D |
3 |
| 1972–73 |
Clarke, BobbyBobby Clarke |
Philadelphia Flyers |
C |
1 |
| 1973–74 |
Esposito, PhilPhil Esposito |
Boston Bruins |
C |
2 |
| 1974–75 |
Clarke, BobbyBobby Clarke |
Philadelphia Flyers |
C |
2 |
| 1975–76 |
Clarke, BobbyBobby Clarke |
Philadelphia Flyers |
C |
3 |
| 1976–77 |
Lafleur, GuyGuy Lafleur |
Montreal Canadiens |
RW |
1 |
| 1977–78 |
Lafleur, GuyGuy Lafleur |
Montreal Canadiens |
RW |
2 |
| 1978–79 |
Trottier, BryanBryan Trottier |
New York Islanders |
C |
1 |
| 1979–80 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
1 |
| 1980–81 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
2 |
| 1981–82 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
3 |
| 1982–83 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
4 |
| 1983–84 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
5 |
| 1984–85 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
6 |
| 1985–86 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
7 |
| 1986–87 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
8 |
| 1987–88 |
Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
C |
1 |
| 1988–89 |
Gretzky, WayneWayne Gretzky |
Los Angeles Kings |
C |
9 |
| 1989–90 |
Messier, MarkMark Messier |
Edmonton Oilers |
C |
1 |
| 1990–91 |
Hull, BrettBrett Hull |
St. Louis Blues |
RW |
1 |
| 1991–92 |
Messier, MarkMark Messier |
New York Rangers |
C |
2 |
| 1992–93 |
Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
C |
2 |
| 1993–94 |
Fedorov, SergeiSergei Fedorov |
Detroit Red Wings |
C |
1 |
| 1994–95 |
Lindros, EricEric Lindros |
Philadelphia Flyers |
C |
1 |
| 1995–96 |
Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
C |
3 |
| 1996–97 |
Hasek, DominikDominik Hasek |
Buffalo Sabres |
G |
1 |
| 1997–98 |
Hasek, DominikDominik Hasek |
Buffalo Sabres |
G |
2 |
| 1998–99 |
Jagr, JaromirJaromir Jagr |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
RW |
1 |
| 1999–2000 |
Pronger, ChrisChris Pronger |
St. Louis Blues |
D |
1 |
| 2000–01 |
Sakic, JoeJoe Sakic |
Colorado Avalanche |
C |
1 |
| 2001–02 |
Theodore, JoseJose Theodore |
Montreal Canadiens |
G |
1 |
| 2002–03 |
Forsberg, PeterPeter Forsberg |
Colorado Avalanche |
C |
1 |
| 2003–04 |
St. Louis, MartinMartin St. Louis |
Tampa Bay Lightning |
RW |
1 |
| 2004–05 |
2004–05 NHL lockout
No winner |
- |
- |
- |
| 2005–06 |
Thornton, JoeJoe Thornton |
Boston Bruins/San Jose Sharks |
C |
1 |
| 2006–07 |
Crosby, SidneySidney Crosby |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
C |
1 |
| 2007–08 |
Ovechkin, AlexanderAlexander Ovechkin |
Washington Capitals |
LW |
1 |
| 2008–09 |
Ovechkin, AlexanderAlexander Ovechkin |
Washington Capitals |
LW |
2 |
| 2009-10 |
Sedin, HenrikHenrik Sedin |
Vancouver Canucks |
C |
1 |