Best NHL Player ESPY Award

The Best NHL Player ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the National Hockey League player, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year, typically most significantly in the NHL season contested during or immediately prior to the holding of the ESPY Awards ceremony.

Between 1993 and 2004, the award voting panel comprised variously fans, sportswriters, broadcasters, sports executives, and retired sportspersons, termed collectively experts; and retired sportspersons. Since then, balloting has been exclusively by fans over the Internet from among choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee.

Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented since then are conferred in June and reflect performance from the previous June.a

Canadian centers Mario Lemieux Sidney Crosby, and Connor McDavid, wingers Jarome Iginla and Alexander Ovechkin, and Czech goaltender Dominik Hašek are the only players to have been honored multiple times; Lemieux, having captured the award three times, in 1993, 1994, and 1998, and Crosby having captured the award eight times, in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Of the thirty awards conferred, just eight have gone to players not from Canada: two to Hasek and one to countrymate Jaromír Jágr, three to Americans Tim Thomas, Jonathan Quick and Patrick Kane, and two to Russian Alexander Ovechkin. Just one has gone to a defenseman, in 2001 to Canadian Chris Pronger. There were no awards in 2005 due to the NHL lockout and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winners

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  Player was a member of the winning team in the Stanley Cup Finals.
  Player was a member of the defeated team in the Stanley Cup Finals.
* Hart Memorial Trophy winner
Conn Smythe Trophy winner

Year Player Country Team Position
1993 Mario Lemieux   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
1994 Mario Lemieux (2)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
1995 Mark Messier   Canada New York Rangers Center
1996 Eric Lindros   Canada Philadelphia Flyers Center
1997 Joe Sakic   Canada Colorado Avalanche Center
1998 Mario Lemieux (3)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
1999 Dominik Hasek   Czech Republic Buffalo Sabres Goaltender
2000 Dominik Hasek (2)   Czech Republic Buffalo Sabres Goaltender
2001 Chris Pronger   Canada St. Louis Blues Defenseman
2002 Jarome Iginla   Canada Calgary Flames Right wing
2003 Jean-Sebastien Giguere   Canada Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Goaltender
2004 Jarome Iginla(2)   Canada Calgary Flames Right wing
2005 No award given (2004–05 NHL lockout)
2006 Jaromír Jágr   Czech Republic New York Rangers Right wing
2007 Sidney Crosby   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2008 Sidney Crosby (2)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2009 Sidney Crosby (3)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2010 Sidney Crosby[1] (4)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2011 Tim Thomas   United States Boston Bruins Goaltender
2012 Jonathan Quick   United States Los Angeles Kings Goaltender
2013 Sidney Crosby (5)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2014 Sidney Crosby (6)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2015 Jonathan Toews   Canada Chicago Blackhawks Center
2016 Sidney Crosby † (7)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2017 Sidney Crosby † (8)   Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Center
2018 Alexander Ovechkin   Russia Washington Capitals Left wing
2019 Alexander Ovechkin (2)   Russia Washington Capitals Left wing
2020 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Patrick Kane   United States Chicago Blackhawks Right wing
2022 Connor McDavid   Canada Edmonton Oilers Center
2023 Connor McDavid (2) *   Canada Edmonton Oilers Center
2024 Connor McDavid (3) †   Canada Edmonton Oilers Center

Notes

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^a Because of the rescheduling of the ESPY Awards ceremony, the award presented in 2002 was given in consideration of performance between February 2001 and June 2002.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Brees wins male athlete award, 3 other ESPYS". 15 July 2010.
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