Hart Memorial Trophy

The Hart Memorial Trophy is the National Hockey League's annual award for the player most valuable to his team, voted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original trophy was donated to the NHL in 1923 by Dr. David Hart, father of Cecil Hart, a coach and general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. It was first presented at the close of the 1923–24 season to Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators. The original trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960, replaced by the current Hart Memorial Trophy. The award has been presented 99 times to 61 different players. Wayne Gretzky won it a record nine times, including eight consecutively, and he and Mark Messier are the only recipients to win it with more than one team.