Why did Connor McDavid win Conn Smythe Award? History of NHL playoff MVPs on losing teams

Just one skater in NHL history had won the Conn Smythe after losing in the Stanley Cup Final before 2024. Such a feat takes a monumental effort to achieve.

Then again, not every skater is Connor McDavid.

The Oilers captain is the best player in the game right now and is well on his way to becoming a legend of the sport. While he does not yet have a Stanley Cup to his name, he now has a Conn Smythe, as McDavid was honored with the 2024 playoff MVP. 

McDavid nearly completed the improbable task of completing a 3-0 comeback against the Panthers. The Oilers won three games in a row to force a Game 7, but they were unable to get that fourth and final victory. Despite the team's shortcomings, McDavid put together one of the greatest postseason campaigns to date and was close to breaking the great Wayne Gretzky's record for most playoff points in a single postseason.

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Conn Smythe winners on losing teams

Six NHLers have now won the Conn Smythe in a losing effort, with McDavid joining rare company. 

Before 2024, the last time a member of the losing team won playoff MVP in the Stanley Cup Final came in 2003. Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was awarded the Conn Smyth after the Devils defeated the Ducks in seven games of the championship series. Giguere recorded an impressive 1.62 GAA and a .945 save percentage, recording five shutouts during the 2023 playoffs, including three in the Western Conference Final against the Wild.

The previous time a skater on the losing club took home playoff MVP was in 1976, when Reggie Leach won it as a member of the Flyers. The Philadelphia winger posted 19 goals and 24 points, leading the league in both categories as the Flyers lost to the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final. He is the only skater to ever win the Conn Smythe as a member of a losing team.

Here's a look at every Conn Smythe winner that's been a member of the losing team.

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 from the NHL lockout.

Here's a look at every Conn Smythe winner.