How many NHL teams have had a player win the Conn Smythe Trophy?

With the 2026 Stanley Cup Final getting underway on Tuesday, here’s a look at some history behind the NHL’s postseason MVP award.

The two-month long trek through the postseason is nearing its end, as the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights prepare to square off in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final – with the former looking for their first championship in 20 years.

While Carolina cruised through the Eastern Conference playoffs, losing just one game through their first three rounds, Vegas emerged to sweep the red-hot Colorado Avalanche, heading to their third Stanley Cup Final in their short nine-year history as a franchise.

Although the focal point of the postseason for all players is a chance to hoist the most famous trophy in North American professional sports, individual players still have a chance to add to their accolades thanks to the Conn Smythe Trophy – a unique award when it comes to pro sports.

Unlike the MVP awards handed out at the end of the championship round in the NFL, MLB and NBA that are specifically based on a player’s performance in the championship, the NHL awards an MVP based on their performance throughout the entire postseason – providing a unique dynamic to the award.

First awarded following the 1965 Stanley Cup Final, the trophy is awarded by the NHL Commissioner before the Stanley Cup is presented to the league champion, with only the winner being announced to the public during the ceremony.

Though the award is typically handed out to the most valuable player on the championship team, there have been six separate occasions where a player on the losing team has won the award – most recently occurring with Connor McDavid’s win following the seven-game 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

A total of 47 different players have won the award since the trophy was introduced, with legendary goaltender Patrick Roy standing alone as the only player in NHL history to take home the award three times.

Entering the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, 10 of the league’s 32 teams have never had a player win the award – largely owing to their lack of postseason success:

1. Buffalo Sabres
2. Ottawa Senators
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. Minnesota Wild
5. Utah Mammoth
6. Nashville Predators
7. Winnipeg Jets
8. San Jose Sharks
9. Seattle Kraken
10. Vancouver Canucks

As for the other 20 teams in the league, here’s a look at the last time they had a player win the award – beginning with the most recent occurrences. Italicized players won the award in a year that their team lost the Stanley Cup Final.

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 2026, Jordan Staal
2. Florida Panthers: 2025, Sam Bennett
3. Edmonton Oilers: 2024, Connor McDavid
4. Vegas Golden Knights: 2023, Jonathan Marchessault
5. Colorado Avalanche: 2022, Cale Makar
6. Tampa Bay Lightning: 2021, Andrei Vasilevskiy
7. St. Louis Blues: 2019, Ryan O’Reilly
8. Washington Capitals: 2018, Alexander Ovechkin
9. Pittsburgh Penguins: 2017, Sidney Crosby
10. Chicago Blackhawks: 2015, Duncan Keith
11. Los Angeles Kings: 2014, Justin Williams
12. Boston Bruins: 2011, Tim Thomas
13. Detroit Red Wings: 2008, Henrik Zetterberg
14. Anaheim Ducks: 2007, Scott Niedermayer
15. New Jersey Devils: 2000, Scott Stevens
16. Dallas Stars: 1999, Joe Nieuwendyk
17. New York Rangers: 1994, Brian Leetch
18. Montreal Canadiens: 1993, Patrick Roy
19. Calgary Flames: 1989, Al MacInnis
20. Philadelphia Flyers: 1987, Ron Hextall
21. New York Islanders: 1983, Billy Smith
22. Toronto Maple Leafs: 1967, Dave Keon