What trophy did Gretzky win twice as Stanley Cup playoffs MVP?

Wayne Gretzky won the Conn Smythe Trophy twice as the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP.

He received the award in 1985 and 1988, both times while playing for the Edmonton Oilers. The Conn Smythe Trophy recognizes the player judged most valuable during the entire Stanley Cup playoffs, not necessarily the regular season.

Gretzky’s first Conn Smythe came after Edmonton defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1985 Stanley Cup Final. He won it again in 1988, when the Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins for their fourth championship in five seasons. In those championship runs, his playmaking and scoring drove Edmonton’s high-powered offense.

A common mix-up is the Hart Memorial Trophy, which honors the NHL’s regular-season MVP, or the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the regular-season scoring leader. Gretzky won nine Hart Trophies and 10 Art Ross Trophies, but his two playoff-MVP awards were Conn Smythe Trophies.