Who won the Conn Smythe? Oilers' Connor McDavid wins historic NHL playoff MVP on losing team

The Oilers and Panthers delivered one of the best Stanley Cup Finals in recent history.

Florida got out to a 3-0 series lead, and seemed destine to win the franchise its first Stanley Cup. However, Edmonton had other plans, winning the next three games and pushing it to a Game 7. 

The winner-take-all contest did not disappoint, with the Panthers hoisting this year's Stanley Cup, the first in franchise history. Despite the effort from Connor McDavid and Co., Florida would not be denied the 2024 title. 

MORE: History of NHL playoff MVPs in losing effort

Which player won the Conn Smythe in 2024? Here's what you need to know.

Who won the Conn Smythe?

Despite losing in the Stanley Cup Final, Connor McDavid was named the Conn Smythe winner for the 2024 NHL playoffs. 

The two knocks — if you could even call them that, — on McDavid's resume were the lack of a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe. He already earned five Art Ross trophies, four Ted Lindsay awards, three Hart trophies, a Rocket Richard trophy and seven All-Star selections. 

McDavid did everything in his willpower to change that in 2024. The Edmonton captain quite literally put the team on his back through this postseason run, helping the Oilers to the team's first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006. In the process, he cemented his status as one of the all-time great playoff performers, putting together a postseason only seen by the likes of Wayne Gretzky. 

He was unable to come up with the Cup, but he did put himself in rare company by earning playoff MVP in a losing effort. He becomes only the sixth player and second skater ever to win the Conn Smythe, but not the Stanley Cup. 

The recognition is due to McDavid's threat to beat Gretzky's single-postseason points record. McDavid finished with 42 points in the postseason, the fourth-most in a single postseason. Even though Edmonton lost, it felt inevitable that the Oilers captain would take home the honor, given how absurd his performance was in these playoffs. 

Full list of Conn Smythe winners

The Conn Smythe has been awarded to the top playoff performer since 1965. The 2005 season was the only year in which there was not a winner due to the season being canceled due to the NHL lockout.

Here's a look at every Conn Smythe winner.