Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Sportsmanship and Gentlemanly Conduct
About this trophy
Description: First awarded in 1924-25, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is presented annually “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
Voting: Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submit ballots for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists.
History: Lady Byng, wife of Canada’s Governor General at the time, presented the Lady Byng Trophy during the 1924-25 season. 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 NHL presented a new trophy, changing the name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
2025-26 Winner: Montreal Canadiens left wing Cole Caufield won the 2025‑26 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The Montreal forward prevailed in a wide-open race in which four players received at least 20 first-place votes. Caufield was the top choice of 45 voters and was named on 113 of the 198 ballots en route to 776 voting points, ahead of five-time Lady Byng finalist and three-time winner Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings (38 first-place votes, 602 points). Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson ranked third with 28 first-place votes and 585 points. Caufield became the third Canadiens player to win the Lady Byng, joining Mats Naslund (1987‑88) and Toe Blake (1945‑46). Caufield enjoyed a historic season as Montreal’s first 50-goal scorer in 36 years, helping the Canadiens (48-24-10, 106 points) post their second-highest point total in that span. He notched 51-37—88 in 81 games, finishing second in the race for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy and tying the seventh-highest goal total in franchise history. Among those 51 were 29 go-ahead goals, the second-highest figure for a single season in League history behind Brett Hull (39 in 1990‑91). Caufield did so while taking just seven minor penalties for a total of 14 penalty minutes, tied for the fewest among the NHL’s 45 players with at least 30 goals.
Most wins
| # | Winner | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Boucher | 7 |
| 2 | Wayne Gretzky | 5 |
| 3 | Pavel Datsyuk | 4 |
| 4 | Red Kelly | 4 |
| 5 | Alex Delvecchio | 3 |
Winners
101 seasons, from 1924-25 to 2025-26.
| Season | Winner | Runners-up and finalists |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Anze Kopitar (LAK), Jake Sanderson (OTT) | |
| 2024-25 | Brayden Point (TBL), Jack Eichel (VGK) | |
| 2023-24 | Auston Matthews (TOR), Elias Pettersson (VAN) | |
| 2022-23 | Brayden Point (TBL), Jack Hughes (NJD) | |
| 2021-22 | Jaccob Slavin (CAR), Jared Spurgeon (MIN) | |
| 2020-21 | Auston Matthews (TOR), Jared Spurgeon (MIN) | |
| 2019-20 | Auston Matthews (TOR), Ryan O'Reilly (STL) | |
| 2018-19 | Ryan O'Reilly (STL), Sean Monahan (CGY) | |
| 2017-18 | Aleksander Barkov (FLA), Ryan O'Reilly (BUF) | |
| 2016-17 | Mikael Granlund (MIN), Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) | |
| 2015-16 | Aleksander Barkov (FLA), Loui Eriksson (BOS) | |
| 2014-15 | Anze Kopitar (LAK), Pavel Datsyuk (DET) | |
| 2013-14 | Martin St. Louis (NYR), Patrick Marleau (SJS) | |
| 2012-13 | Matt Moulson (NYI), Patrick Kane (CHI) | |
| 2011-12 | Jordan Eberle (EDM), Matt Moulson (NYI) | |
| 2010-11 | Loui Eriksson (DAL), Nicklas Lidstrom (DET) | |
| 2009-10 | Brad Richards (DAL), Pavel Datsyuk (DET) | |
| 2008-09 | Martin St. Louis (TBL), Zach Parise (NJD) | |
| 2007-08 | Jason Pominville (BUF), Martin St. Louis (TBL) | |
| 2006-07 | Joe Sakic (COL), Martin St. Louis (TBL) | |
| 2005-06 | Brad Richards (TBL), Patrick Marleau (SJS) | |
| 2003-04 | Daniel Alfredsson (OTT), Martin St. Louis (TBL) | |
| 2002-03 | Mike Modano (DAL), Nicklas Lidstrom (DET) | |
| 2001-02 | Joe Sakic (COL), Nicklas Lidstrom (DET) | |
| 2000-01 | Adam Oates (WSH), Nicklas Lidstrom (DET) | |
| 1999-00 | Nicklas Lidstrom (DET), Teemu Selanne (ANA) | |
| 1998-99 | Nicklas Lidstrom (DET), Teemu Selanne (ANA) | |
| 1997-98 | Teemu Selanne (ANA), Wayne Gretzky (NYR) | |
| 1996-97 | Adam Oates (BOS), Teemu Selanne (ANA) | |
| 1995-96 | Adam Oates (BOS), Teemu Selanne (WIN) | |
| 1994-95 | Adam Oates (BOS), Alexei Zhamnov (WIN) | |
| 1993-94 | Adam Oates (BOS), Pierre Turgeon (NYI) | |
| 1992-93 | Adam Oates (BOS), Pat LaFontaine (BUF) | |
| 1991-92 | Brian Leetch (NYR), Joe Sakic (QUE) | |
| 1990-91 | Brett Hull (STL), Joe Sakic (QUE) | |
| 1989-90 | Pat LaFontaine (NYI), Wayne Gretzky (LAK) | |
| 1988-89 | Mats Naslund (MTL), Wayne Gretzky (LAK) | |
| 1987-88 | Joe Nieuwendyk (CGY), Wayne Gretzky (EDM) | |
| 1986-87 | Rick Middleton (BOS), Wayne Gretzky (EDM) | |
| 1985-86 | Jari Kurri (EDM), Mats Naslund (MTL) | |
| 1984-85 | Joe Mullen (STL), John Ogrodnick (DET) | |
| 1983-84 | Jari Kurri (EDM), Rick Middleton (BOS) | |
| 1982-83 | Kent Nilsson (CGY), Rick Middleton (BOS) | |
| 1981-82 | Mike Bossy (NYI), Wayne Gretzky (EDM) | |
| 1980-81 | Rick Middleton (BOS), Wayne Gretzky (EDM) | |
| 1979-80 | Guy Lafleur (MTL), Marcel Dionne (LAK) | |
| 1978-79 | Marcel Dionne (LAK), Rick Middleton (BOS) | |
| 1977-78 | Jean Ratelle (BOS), Peter McNab (BOS) | |
| 1976-77 | Guy Lafleur (MTL), Jean Ratelle (BOS) | |
| 1975-76 | Guy Lafleur (MTL), Jean Pronovost (PIT) | |
| 1974-75 | Bob Nevin (LAK), Johnny Bucyk (BOS) | |
| 1973-74 | Butch Goring (LAK), Lowell MacDonald (PIT) | |
| 1972-73 | Jean Ratelle (NYR), Johnny Bucyk (BOS) | |
| 1971-72 | Bobby Hull (CHI), Johnny Bucyk (BOS) | |
| 1970-71 | Dave Keon (TOR), Jean Ratelle (NYR) | |
| 1969-70 | Dave Keon (TOR), Johnny Bucyk (BOS) | |
| 1968-69 | Bobby Hull (CHI), Ted Hampson (OAK) | |
| 1967-68 | Johnny Bucyk (BOS), Rod Gilbert (NYR) | |
| 1966-67 | Dave Keon (TOR), Phil Goyette (NYR) | |
| 1965-66 | Bob Nevin (NYR), Bobby Rousseau (MTL) | |
| 1964-65 | Alex Delvecchio (DET), Dave Keon (TOR) | |
| 1963-64 | Camille Henry (NYR), Dave Keon (TOR) | |
| 1962-63 | Alex Delvecchio (DET), Camille Henry (NYR) | |
| 1961-62 | Claude Provost (MTL), Don McKenney (BOS) | |
| 1960-61 | Andy Hebenton (NYR), Norm Ullman (DET) | |
| 1959-60 | Alex Delvecchio (DET), Andy Hebenton (NYR) | |
| 1958-59 | Andy Hebenton (NYR), Camille Henry (NYR) | |
| 1957-58 | Don McKenney (BOS), Donnie Marshall (MTL) | |
| 1956-57 | Dutch Reibel (DET), Sid Smith (TOR) | |
| 1955-56 | Floyd Curry (MTL), Johnny Wilson (CHI) | |
| 1954-55 | Danny Lewicki (NYR), Red Kelly (DET) | |
| 1953-54 | Bill Mosienko (CHI), Don Raleigh (NYR) | |
| 1952-53 | Sid Smith (TOR), Wally Hergesheimer (NYR) | |
| 1951-52 | Bill Mosienko (CHI), Red Kelly (DET) | |
| 1950-51 | Bill Quackenbush (BOS), Woody Dumart (BOS) | |
| 1949-50 | Paul Ronty (BOS), Red Kelly (DET) | |
| 1948-49 | Harry Watson (TOR), Paul Ronty (BOS) | |
| 1947-48 | Roy Conacher (CHI), Syl Apps (TOR) | |
| 1946-47 | Max Bentley (CHI), Syl Apps (TOR) | |
| 1945-46 | Clint Smith (CHI), Edgar Laprade (NYR), Gaye Stewart (TOR) | |
| 1944-45 | Clint Smith (CHI), Syd Howe (DET) | |
| 1943-44 | Herb Cain (BOS), Syd Howe (DET) | |
| 1942-43 | Billy Taylor Sr. (TOR), Buddy O'Connor (MTL) | |
| 1941-42 | Bill Thoms (CHI), Gordie Drillon (TOR) | |
| 1940-41 | Gordie Drillon (TOR), Syl Apps (TOR) | |
| 1939-40 | Clint Smith (NYR), Syl Apps (TOR) | |
| 1938-39 | Marty Barry (DET), Syl Apps (TOR) | |
| 1937-38 | Cecil Dillon (NYR), Clint Smith (NYR) | |
| 1936-37 | Gordie Drillon (TOR), Russ Blinco (MMR) | |
| 1935-36 | Cecil Dillon (NYR), Sweeney Schriner (NYA) | |
| 1934-35 | Joe Primeau (TOR), Russ Blinco (MMR) | |
| 1933-34 | Cooney Weiland (DET), Joe Primeau (TOR) | |
| 1932-33 | Joe Primeau (TOR), Paul Haynes (MMR) | |
| 1931-32 | Frank Boucher (NYR), Normie Himes (NYA) | |
| 1930-31 | Joe Primeau (TOR), Normie Himes (NYA) | |
| 1929-30 | Cooney Weiland (BOS), Normie Himes (NYA) | |
| 1928-29 | George Hay (DCG), Harold Darragh (PIR), Harry Oliver (BOS) | |
| 1927-28 | George Hay (DCG), Howie Morenz (MTL) | |
| 1926-27 | Dick Irvin (CHI), Pit Lepine (MTL) | |
| 1925-26 | Billy Burch (NYA), Carson Cooper (BOS) | |
| 1924-25 |
