Conn Smythe Trophy roster a who's who of the NHL

Another NHL season is in the books and with it comes a new Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP.

This year, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby added to his trophy cabinet, being named the 52nd winner of the award, the first of his illustrious career.

The trophy was first handed out in 1965, to Montreal Canadiens' great Jean Beliveau. Another former Hab — Patrick Roy — holds the distinction of the most Conn Smythe Trophies, having won it three times, twice with Montreal and once with the Colorado Avalanche.

Here are the Conn Smythe winners of the previous 10 years:

Cam Ward — 2006

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman handed the trophy to Cam Ward after the Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup. The Carolina Hurricanes goaltender had a 2.14 goals against average, a .920 save percentage and two shutouts in 23 games during the post-season.

Scott Niedermayer — 2007

Hockey Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer won the award in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks. He had three goals, eight assists and 26 penalty minutes for the Ducks, but it was his smooth and steady play on the blue line that really helped Anaheim capture the Cup.

Henrik Zetterberg — 2008

Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg posted a team-high 27 points in 22 games during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, including 10 with the man advantage. The Swedish star was plus-16 in the post-season but it was his stellar penalty-killing in the Stanley Cup Final that helped defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Evgeni Malkin — 2009

Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins became the first Russian player to win it. The centre had eight goals and 17 points during the final 11 games of the post-season. His total of 36 was the most since Wayne Gretzky had 40 in 1993.

Jonathan Toews — 2010

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews put up a franchise-best 22 assists in 22 playoff games. He also chipped in seven goals, but it was his two-way play and leadership that catapulted the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup since 1961. Toews also had a 13-game point streak during the playoffs.

Tim Thomas — 2011

In 2011, Boston's Tim Thomas allowed only eight goals in the Bruins' final eight games. At age 37, Thomas posted four shutouts during the playoff run with his unorthodox style. His coach, Claude Julien, said Thomas "just totally dominated."

Jonathan Quick — 2012

L.A. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick won after registering a stellar .946 save percentage, a 1.41 goals against average along, and three shutouts. Quick was just the third American-born player to win the award.

Patrick Kane — 2013

Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks was tabbed after putting up nine goals and 10 assists during the NHL playoffs. The American winger potted a hat trick in the Western Conference final and had multiple big games in the final series. 

Justin Williams — 2014

Justin Williams of the Kings led all players in post-season scoring with 25 points. The three-time Cup winner had nine goals and 16 assists, earning points in all three Game 7s the Kings played . "He scores big goals, and he understands his role," said Kings coach Darryl Sutter. 

Duncan Keith — 2015

The Chicago Blackhawks' Duncan Keith was the unanimous choice for the award and was the first defenceman to take the honour since Niedermayer. At the age of 31, Keith led all defencemen in points with 21 and averaged more than 31 minutes of ice-time per game in the playoffs.