The sometimes self-serving and often-controversial original Toronto Maple Leafs owner indulged himself 60 years ago by donating a trophy in his own name, for the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Conn Smythe’s dream came true — his name would live in perpetuity.
He once told his son Stafford, during one of the days they were on speaking terms, that “Smythe” would be engraved on the Stanley Cup more than any other family name. At 13 times, it was… until Maurice and Henri arranged for “Richard” to be there 19 times, and Jean Beliveau alone made it to 17.
Wrong trophy, I guess.
That segues nicely into the original Conn Smythe winner — Monsieur Beliveau. His skates have been filled 59 times by 52 players. Unless Connor McDavid repeats on this the 60th occasion, there will be a new name engraved on the trophy next month. Only six players have been multiple winners, headed by Patrick Roy’s thrice, followed by fellow Hall of Famers who won it twice — Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Bernie Parent.
Reflecting on the all-time list produces some interesting demographic anecdotes.
As many Conn Smythe winners were born in Krylbo, Sweden, as in Kitchener; in Njurunda (also Sweden) as in Noranda; in Tyumen, Russia, as in Trois-Rivieres. While there have been more (nine) from Montreal than anywhere, Conn Smythe winners were also born in famous hamlets from Cap-Rouge to Corpus Christi (that’s in Texas, by the way). Until “Texan” Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers, Canadian-born players were the first 29 winners. While Leetch was the first American to win, the first Swede was Detroit’s Nicklas Lindstrom and the first Russian was Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin. All other countries have been shut out, and that could change next month if Finland (Mikko Rananen, Alexander Barkov, Sebastian Aho) or even Germany (Leon Draisaitl) or Denmark (Frederik Andersen) joins the list.
The age opposites were both goalies. The youngest winner was Roy, who was 20 the first time he won in 1986, and he’s the only winner from two teams, Montreal and Colorado. The oldest winner was Boston’s Tim Thomas, who was 37.
Because they’re often the centre of attention in Stanley Cup games, goaltenders have won 17 times and the only multiple winner besides Roy was Philadelphia’s Bernie Parent. He went back-to-back in 1974 and 1975, the Flyers’ only two championship years. In fact, only Pennsylvania teams have won the Smythe back-to-back…Pittsburgh did it twice with (surprise) Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby.
However, when it comes to positions, centres (21) lead the way.
Of the 52 players on the trophy, all but three are still alive (Beliveau, Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy the exceptions) and the oldest living winner is 93-year-old Glenn Hall, who played goal for Chicago and Detroit before taking St. Louis to the first “expansion” Cup final. The Blues lost, of course, and Hall was the second of six players to win the trophy while playing for a team that didn’t win, and four of the six were goalies. Those exceptions were the Flyers’ Reggie Leach — his 19 playoff goals now a 50-year-old record — and McDavid.
The real winner, however, might be Conn Smythe.
