The annual NHL awards show is a special night when the league recognizes the extraordinary performances of the past season. Whether naming a league MVP, coach of the year, or best goalie, the night is full of intrigue.
Ultimately, when a player wins an award, their name goes down in history, and they join a long list of previous victors, most in the Hockey Hall of Fame. As they receive recognition for their efforts, they represent their team and add to the success of that franchise when it comes to NHL awards.
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Although the primary goal of every team is to win the Stanley Cup, racking up individual success goes a long way toward a franchise’s reputation. So, the NHL clubs with the most awards in their dressing rooms are below.
Note: These totals reflect current awards and do not include retired trophies like the O’Brien Trophy or NHL Plus/Minus Award. Additionally, other trophies like the Lester Patrick Award and the Viking Award are excluded.
10. Washington Capitals (32)
Before 2005, when Alex Ovechkin joined the Washington Capitals, the franchise had won only nine NHL awards since its inception in 1974. Therefore, the last 18 years are the most successful in team history, including a Stanley Cup title in 2018.
Statistically, Ovechkin’s trophies account for 56 percent of the team’s total awards, highlighting his chase of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record of 894. Interestingly, outside of his numbers, only two other players in Capitals’ history have won more than one award, and those are two goalies, Olaf Kolzig, and Brandon Holtby.
9. New York Islanders (32)
The New York Islanders remain the NHL’s last true dynasty, winning the Stanley Cup four times from 1980-1984. Considering it is one of the most successful periods in NHL history, most players associated with the dynasty have a boatload of trophies at home, including Bryan Trottier.
Although the longtime Islander finished his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he remains New York’s all-time leading scorer and most decorated player with six awards. Interestingly, Trottier’s numbers don’t include any multiple wins of the same trophy, meaning he took home six different awards during his 15-year career.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs (38)
As one of the Original Six franchises and the team with the second most Stanley Cups (13) in league history, the Toronto Maple Leafs sneak onto the bottom half of this list with 31 individual awards. Historically, the team has not won a championship since the 1967 expansion, but that hasn’t kept players from taking home some hardware.
Surprisingly, Auston Matthews is the most decorated player with five awards, including two Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies and a Hart Trophy. Although Toronto has at least one winner for each award, the team holds the record for most Calder Memorial Trophy wins with ten.
7. New York Rangers (43)
The New York Rangers have been the kings of Broadway since 1926; however, the team has only won the Stanley Cup on four occasions. Despite their team success, the franchise has won numerous individual awards and remains one of the more successful Original Six franchises in this regard.
Brian Leetch is the Rangers’ most decorated player, winning four awards during his 17 years in New York. Besides winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy twice, he also took home the Calder Memorial Trophy and became the first American-born Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
6. Edmonton Oilers (49)
The Edmonton Oilers were the most dominant team in the 1980s, winning the Stanley Cup five times in seven seasons. Of course, deploying the game’s greatest player (Gretzky) assisted in their quest for success, including his record 27 awards for a single franchise.
The Great One’s mark could eventually fall when Connor McDavid catches up to him someday, with 11 awards in eight seasons thus far. Statistically, the duo accounts for 75 percent of the team’s trophy wins, with superstars like Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, and Leon Draisaitl adding their names to the list.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (52)
As one of the six expansion teams in 1967, the Penguins are among the most successful teams in league history, with five Stanley Cup titles. Statistically, thanks to the legendary careers of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby, the franchise has routinely won awards since the 1980s.
As expected, Lemieux won a team-record 18 trophies during his 17-year career, including six scoring titles. Furthermore, his place at the top is pretty secure since Crosby has 12 wins and is on the back side of his career, meaning he’s a long shot at overtaking his former linemate. Interestingly, those four players account for 85 percent of the Penguins’ trophy wins.
4. Chicago Blackhawks (68)
The Chicago Blackhawks have an illustrious history with six Stanley Cup championships and a boatload of star players in the Hockey Hall of Fame. As one of their best players, Stan Mikita is the team’s all-time leading scorer and their most decorated player with eight awards.
Considering the franchise has been around since 1926, the team has won nine Art Ross and Calder Memorial Trophies. However, their most dominant category has been the Vezina Trophy, with 12 wins, the second most in league history.
3. Detroit Red Wings (77)
As one of the more successful teams in league history since its inception in 1926, the Detroit Red Wings once suffered a 42-year championship drought. However, some of the game’s all-time greatest have worn red, including “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe.
Considered the most outstanding player ever until Gretzky broke most of his records, Howe was a dominant presence in a Red Wings uniform for 25 years. Outside of numerous NHL scoring records, he won 13 awards during his tenure in the Motor City. Although many Hall of Famers have come after him, he still accounts for 16 percent of their totals.
2. Boston Bruins (91)
The Boston Bruins are the oldest American-based team in the NHL, starting operations in 1924. Despite spreading their Stanley Cup championships across several decades, some of the game’s best wore black and gold, including the legendary Bobby Orr.
Surprisingly, Orr only played ten seasons in Boston and won 17 awards, becoming the only player in NHL history to win the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, Conn Smythe, and Stanley Cup in the same season (1969-70). Even though several Boston players could win awards this year, no one will come close to catching the great Orr anytime soon.
1. Montreal Canadiens (119)
The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most successful professional sports franchises, with the record for most Stanley Cup victories (24) and the most individual awards, at 119. Considering the team could have its own Hall of Fame, with over 66 members already enshrined at the Hockey Hall of Fame, it’s no surprise to see them at the top of this list.
Historically, the Canadiens dominated the league for the first six decades with players like Maurice Richard, Georges Vezina, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, and Patrick Roy in the lineup. Coincidentally, a few NHL awards are named after several Montreal legends, which shows how important they were to the game’s expansion.
Statistically, Lafleur and Roy shared the team record with nine awards each, accounting for 15 percent of the team’s successes. Overall, the Canadiens have the most Hart Trophy winners (17) and Vezina Trophy winners (36) while ranking second in Norris Trophy wins with 12.
Historical Perspective
The Canadiens have won almost as many trophies as 14 teams in the league combined (120-119) since only 18 franchises have reached 20 awards. Even though several expansion teams have found much success since their inception, it is no surprise that all the Original Six teams crack the top ten.
However, it is interesting that the Rangers and Maple Leafs are one of 18 teams without an Art Ross winner in their history. Considering these two iconic franchises had a headstart by a few decades, they continue to hunt for their first league-scoring champion.
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Meanwhile, the Penguins, Oilers, and Buffalo Sabres are the only non-Original Six franchises to reach double digits in a single category. Statistically, the Penguins have 15 Art Ross wins, and the Oilers have 13. Meanwhile, the Sabres have collected ten Vezina Trophy wins in their history.
Ultimately, winning an award in the NHL is extraordinary, considering the latest winner is following in the footsteps of several legends before them. Even though the players don’t get to skate around with their trophies over their heads, the NHL does add their name to the award just like the Stanley Cup, meaning they will be a part of history forever.