Wayne Gretzky won nine Hart Memorial Trophies as the NHL’s regular-season Most Valuable Player.
Gretzky captured the award eight consecutive times from 1979–80 through 1986–87, first with the Edmonton Oilers. His ninth Hart came in 1988–89, his first season with the Los Angeles Kings, making him the only player to win the trophy with more than one team alongside Mark Messier.
The Hart Trophy is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. It recognizes the player judged most valuable to his team during the regular season, not necessarily the league’s top playoff performer. That distinction matters because Gretzky also won the Conn Smythe Trophy twice as playoff MVP.
The award began as the Hart Trophy in 1924 and was renamed the Hart Memorial Trophy after the original trophy was retired in 1960. Gretzky’s nine wins remain the record, while his eight straight victories are another unmatched mark. His closest historical rivals in Hart voting include Gordie Howe, Eddie Shore, and Mario Lemieux.