At the end of the Stanley Cup Finals each year, a top performer receives the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Unlike other awards given at the same time in other sports, the Conn Smythe Trophy encompasses the entire NHL playoffs and not just the Stanley Cup Finals.
What else is there to learn about the Conn Smythe Trophy? Read on for historical information about the award, as well as how and where to bet on Conn Smythe Trophy odds.
Where to Bet on Conn Smythe Trophy Odds
The NHL is one of the biggest sports leagues in the United States, and many people love to bet on NHL odds every season at the best online sportsbooks.
That includes betting on the NHL playoffs and the many markets available for doing so, from basic moneyline, puck line, and over/under bets to prop bets to futures bets on Stanley Cup Finals winner odds and Conn Smythe Trophy winner odds.
Many of the top sportsbooks for U.S. players offer Conn Smythe Trophy odds, including the four books listed above.
Some sites even offer bonuses centered around betting on the NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals, much like they do for betting on the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, March Madness, and other marquee events.
Be sure to check out the bonuses and promotions at your favorite sports betting sites in the days leading up to and during the Stanley Cup Finals to make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to boost your bankroll for betting on the series and Conn Smythe Trophy odds.
How to Bet on Conn Smythe Trophy Odds
As with other regular season or postseason awards, such as NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, the MLB MVP awards, Super Bowl MVP, and the Heisman Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy odds are futures odds.
Because the award covers the entire NHL postseason, online sportsbooks will have odds available at the start of the playoffs.
Depending on the players involved, there may be a heavy favorite, especially as the postseason progresses and fewer teams are playing.
If the Finals matchup is even or expected to be close, the MVP favorites on both sides may not be separated by a wide margin. But if one team is heavily favored, there will be some distance between that team’s star(s) and the other team’s star(s).
As with any other futures bets, value and timing can play a significant role in whether you choose to bet on Conn Smythe Trophy odds.
Do you want to bet on the favorite but want to wait until after the Stanley Cup Finals starts? You may well get better value than you would have prior to the series.
On the flip side, if you bet on someone a bit further down the odds, your best option may be to get your bets in early in the playoffs or Stanley Cup Finals. If they perform well in the first game or two, their odds could significantly shorten.
Conn Smythe Trophy History
Has a rookie ever won the award?
Multiple rookies have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Most recently, goaltender Cam Ward received the award after helping the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Edmonton Oilers in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.
Has someone won the award without winning the Stanley Cup?
Every player to win the award has at least made the Stanley Cup Finals, and six players have won the award despite coming out on the losing end in the championship series. The most recent was Connor McDavid, who won it in 2024 despite the Oilers’ series loss to the Florida Panthers.
Who has won the Conn Smythe Trophy the most times?
Patrick Roy, arguably the greatest goaltender in NHL history, is the only player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy three times. Bobby Orr, Bernie Parent, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Sidney Crosby are the lone two-time winners.
How many times has each position won the Conn Smythe Trophy?
If you have dreams of being a Conn Smythe Trophy winner or successfully betting on one, which positions are the best options?
Surprisingly, a left winger has won the award only twice, Hall of Famer Bob Gainey in 1979 and Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, in 2018.
Right wingers have fared better, but wins have still been few and largely far between.
Only two centers won the Conn Smythe Trophy in its first 15 years of existence, but the position is now at the top of the charts.
One notable thing about the Conn Smythe Trophy compared to the position breakdown of other Most Valuable Player Awards, including the NHL’s own Hart Trophy, is how many times goaltenders and defensemen have won it.
For example, in the NBA, the NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP are typically awarded to offensive stars. The same is the case for the MLB MVP awards, which often go to baseball’s sweetest-swinging superstars, as well as World Series MVP, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, the Heisman Trophy, and the Ballon d’Or in soccer.
Conn Smythe Trophy results are even counter to historical Hart Trophy (NHL Most Valuable Player) results. Only 20 goaltenders and defenseman have won the Hart Trophy, which was first awarded in 1923.
Center – 20 (1965, 1967, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2024)
Left Wing – 2 (1979, 2018)
Right Wing – 8 (1973, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1995, 2013, 2014, 2023)
Defenseman – 12 (1969, 1970, 1972, 1978, 1989, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2015, 2020, 2022)
Goaltender – 17 (1966, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2021)
Who Are the Last 20 Conn Smythe Trophy Winners?
Here are the 20 most recent NBA Finals MVP winners, as well as their odds to win the award. Odds are courtesy of Sports Odds History, a treasure trove of historical odds and information for the major North American sports and leagues and more.
| Year | Player, Position, Team | Conn Smythe Trophy Odds (Entering Stanley Cup Finals) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Connor McDavid, Center, Edmonton Oilers | +200 |
| 2023 | Jonathan Marchessault, Right Wing, Vegas Golden Knights | +650 |
| 2022 | Cale Makar, Defenseman, Colorado Avalanche | +175 |
| 2021 | Andrei Vasilevskiy, Goaltender, Tampa Bay Lightning | +125 |
| 2020 | Victor Hedman, Defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning | +600 |
| 2019 | Ryan O’Reilly, Center, St. Louis Blues | +5000 |
| 2018 | Alexander Ovechkin, Left Wing, Washington Capitals | +220 |
| 2017 | Sidney Crosby, Center, Pittsburgh Penguins | +410 |
| 2016 | Sidney Crosby, Center, Pittsburgh Penguins | +500 |
| 2015 | Duncan Keith, Defenseman, Chicago Blackhawks | +325 |
| 2014 | Justin Williams, Right Wing, Los Angeles Kings | +3000 |
| 2013 | Patrick Kane, Right Wing, Chicago Blackhawks | +1800 |
| 2012 | Jonathan Quick, Goaltender, Los Angeles Kings | +100 |
| 2011 | Tim Thomas, Goaltender, Boston Bruins | +350 |
| 2010 | Jonathan Toews, Center, Chicago Blackhawks | -225 |
| 2009 | Evgeni Malkin, Center, Pittsburgh Penguins | n/a |
| 2008 | Henrik Zetterberg, Center, Detroit Red Wings | n/a |
| 2007 | Scott Niedermayer, Defenseman, Anaheim Ducks | n/a |
| 2006 | Cam Ward, Goaltender, Carolina Hurricanes | n/a |
| 2005 | No winner (Season canceled due to NHL lockout) | n/a |
| 2004 | Brad Richards, Center, Tampa Bay Lightning | n/a |