Wayne Gretzky won five Lester B. Pearson Awards.
The award honored the NHL's most outstanding player as chosen by members of the National Hockey League Players' Association. Gretzky won it in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987, producing four consecutive victories before Mario Lemieux won in 1986. All five of Gretzky's wins came while he played for the Edmonton Oilers.
The Pearson Award was a players' choice, which made it distinct from the Hart Memorial Trophy. The Hart is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, while the Pearson reflected the judgment of fellow NHL players. Gretzky's five Pearson victories complemented his nine Hart wins, but the two award totals are not interchangeable.
In 2010, the NHL Players' Association renamed the trophy the Ted Lindsay Award to honor Detroit Red Wings star Ted Lindsay and his role in establishing the original players' association. Historical records still list Gretzky's victories under the Lester B. Pearson name because that was the award's official title during his career. The five-win total remains tied for the award's career record.