Wayne Gretzky won five Lady Byng Memorial Trophies.
The Lady Byng recognizes the NHL player judged to combine outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high level of playing ability. Gretzky won it in 1979–80, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94 and 1998–99. Those victories came with three different franchises: the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.
Gretzky's first Lady Byng arrived during his historic rookie NHL season, when he also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He later became one of the rare players to win both awards in the same season. His five Lady Byng victories rank behind Frank Boucher's record seven.
The award is sometimes mistaken for a simple “least penalty minutes” prize. Penalty minutes matter, but voters also consider a player's overall skill and conduct. Gretzky's total therefore reflects the NHL's combined standard of elite performance and sportsmanship, not merely how rarely he was penalized. His five wins also sit alongside his far larger totals of nine Harts and ten Art Ross Trophies.