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The Lady Byng Award is an annual award given to the NHL player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and a high standard of play. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) vote for the winner using a 10-7-5-3-1 points system.
2024 finalists for the Lady Byng Award
On Saturday, Auston Matthews, Elias Pettersson and Jaccob Slavin were announced as finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy. The winner will be revealed at a later date.
Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs led the NHL with 69 goals and achieved a personal best of 107 points in 81 games. With only 20 penalty minutes and a +31 rating, Matthews demonstrated remarkable discipline, earning him a spot as a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy for the third time in five years.
He has consistently scored at least 34 goals each season and helped Toronto secure a playoff spot for the eighth consecutive year.
Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks also stood out, scoring 34 goals and 89 points. His disciplined play saw him taking only six minor penalties. Pettersson was pivotal in Vancouver winning its first division title in a decade and making the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes, known for his defensive prowess and minimal penalties, took only four minor penalties while playing major minutes. His consistent performance helped Carolina to another playoff appearance. He previously won the Lady Byng Award in 2020-21.
History of Lady Byng Award
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, named after Marie Evelyn Moreton (Lady Byng), was first awarded in the 1924-25 NHL season. Lady Byng, wife of Viscount Byng of Vimy, the Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926, was an avid hockey fan and decided to donate the trophy to the NHL to honor the most gentlemanly player.
Lady Byng personally selected Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators as the first recipient, surprising him with the trophy at Rideau Hall.
Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight years, impressing Lady Byng so much that she gave him the original trophy to keep. She donated a second trophy in 1935-36.
After Lady Byng died in 1949, the NHL presented a new trophy and changed the name to Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Tragically, the original trophy was destroyed in a fire at Boucher's home in 1962.
Multiple record holders of Lady Byng Award
In addition to Frank Boucher's record seven Lady Byng Trophy wins, several other players have earned the "gentlemanly conduct" award multiple times.
Wayne Gretzky won five Lady Byng awards in his career, while Red Kelly and Pavel Datsyuk each have four. Bobby Bauer, Alex Delvecchio, Mike Bossy, Martin St. Louis and Ron Francis won the trophy three times.
