Interestingly, just three different players from the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have ever won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, considering that the Conn Smythe is a relatively new piece of NHL hardware, maybe it’s not that surprising.
The Conn Smythe Trophy was first handed out in 1964-65. The first ever winner was Jean Beliveau of the Montreal Canadiens. The most recent winner, at least for the next week or so, is Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, winning the trophy in 2011-12 after the Kings took down the New Jersey Devils.
Five players from non-winning teams have won the award. Roger Crozier, goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings, won the Conn Smythe in 1965-66. Glenn Hall became the only St. Louis Blues player to win the award after getting swept by the Montreal Canadiens in 1967-68. Reggie Leach scored in bunches for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975-76 and won the Conn Smythe despite the Canadiens winning the cup. Another Flyer, Ron Hextall, won in a losing cause in 1987-88. Most recently, Jean-Sebastien Giguere won the award as a member of the Anaheim Ducks in 2002-03.
Patrick Roy is the only three time winner of the Conn Smythe and the only player to win the award on different teams. Roy one the award twice with the Montreal Canadiens and once with the Colorado Avalanche. Bernie Parent, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky are the only other players to have their names on the Conn Smythe Trophy more than once. Jonathan Toews is the only player in the 2012-13 final that has a chance of joining this club.
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins – 1969-70
Orr scored nine goals and assisted on eleven more for 20 points over 14 playoff games in 1969-70 as the Bruins captured their first Stanley Cup championship since 1940-41. Bobby was second on the team to Phil Esposito’s 27 points.
The Bruins only losses that playoff season came in the first round against the New York Rangers, a series Boston won four games to two. They then swept the Chicago Black Hawks in the semi-finals before sweeping the St. Louis Blues in the finals to capture the championship.
Orr scored the series winning goal in overtime of the game four. It is the iconic goal that features Bobby flying through the air after scoring. The picture seems to come to represent the game of hockey. It was really no big deal. Game four was the only game in the series that was even close. The Bruins outscored the Blues 20-7 in the series.
As mentioned, Boston hadn’t won a Stanley Cup championship since 1940-41 when they took out the Detroit Red Wings in a four game sweep. The Bruins were last in a Stanley Cup final series in 1957-58 when they fell to the Montreal Canadiens in six games.
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins – 1971-72
After a disappointing absense from the finals in 1970-71, Orr and Esposito came roaring back in 1972. Both led the way with 24 points each. Bobby scored five and assisted on 19 over the team’s 15 playoff games.
Boston downed the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round, four games to one. The semi-finals saw a four game sweep of the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins allowed the New York Rangers two wins in the finals before hoisting the Stanley Cup.
The Bruins would not win the championship again until 2010-11. Along the way, they went to the finals five times. In 1973-74, it was the Flyers winning in six. In 1976-77 and 1977-78, the Montreal Canadiens dominated Don Cherry’s Bruins. In 1987-88 and 1989-90, Boston met defeat against the Edmonton Oilers.
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks – 2009-10
Chicago captured their first Stanley Cup championship since 1960-61 and a young Jonathan Toews was a leader much beyond his years. Toews scored seven and assisted on 22 for 29 points over 22 games. He led the team with one more point that Patrick Kane.
Chicago started off with a six game series victory over the Nashville Predators. It would take another six in the next round to take out the Vancouver Canucks. In the Western Conference final, the Hawks swept the San Jose Sharks. In the finals, it was the Philadelphia Flyers falling in six.
Chicago had last won a Stanley Cup in 1960-61 when Bobby Hull was just a young go-getter like Toews or Kane. The beat the Detroit Red Wings in six games that year. The Blackhawks were last in a Stanley Cup final series in 1991-92 when they fell to the Scotty Bowman coached and Mario Lemieux led Pittsburgh Penguins in a four game sweep.
Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins – 2010-11
Thomas played in all 25 playoff games for the Bruins as they captured their first championship since that 1971-72 season. Tim registered a 1.98 goals against average and a .940 save percentage, along with four shutouts. Boston went to a seventh game in three of the four series’.
Boston beat Montreal 4-3 in a tight opening round matchup. Each team scored 17 goals in the series. The Bruins had it easier in the second round, sweeping the Flyers in four. In the Eastern Conference final, Boston once again tied their opponent in goals scored at 21 each as they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven. Tim shutout the Lightning twice in the series.
In what is statistically one of the oddest final series ever played, the Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks in seven to capture the Stanley Cup. Despite being tight in games, the Bruins outscored the Canucks a whopping 23 to 8. Thomas shutout the Canucks twice, including a 4-0 victory in game seven. Two of Vancouver’s victories were 1-0 shutouts.