Rocket Richard Trophy

Awarded annually to the leading goal scorer in the NHL regular season.

The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy is awarded annually to the leading goal scorer in the National Hockey League (NHL) for goals scored during the regular season, excluding the playoffs. Donated by the Montreal Canadiens to the NHL in 1998–99, it honors legendary right winger Maurice "Rocket" Richard. First won by Teemu Selanne, the trophy recognizes a feat Richard achieved in 1944–45: becoming the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games. Currently held by Nathan MacKinnon after he scored 53 goals during the 2025–26 season, the award remains one of the league's newest honors.

Quick Facts

Sport: Ice hockey
First: 1998–99 NHL season

Lore & Background

Maurice Richard spent his entire eighteen-season career with the Canadiens, leading the NHL in scoring five times and becoming the first player to reach the 500-goal milestone. In 1944–45, he scored 50 goals in just 50 games, a feat matched by only four others since then. Despite his dominance, Richard never finished higher than second in total points; his closest finish was one point behind teammate Bernie Geoffrion in 1954–55. The trophy was formally introduced at the end of the 1998–99 season to immortalize this specific scoring prowess. Unlike the Art Ross Trophy, there are no tiebreakers for the Richard Trophy, allowing multiple players to share the award if they finish with identical goal totals.

Reader's Guide

Winning the Rocket Richard Trophy is a rare feat reserved for elite scorers. Auston Matthews, with his third win in 2023–24, and Alexander Ovechkin, with his ninth in 2019–20, are the only players to have won it at least three times. Pavel Bure, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, and Steven Stamkos have each won it twice. Only two players, McDavid and Ovechkin, have captured the Hart, Rocket Richard, Art Ross, and Ted Lindsay trophies in a single season. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are also the only players to win both the Rocket Richard and the Stanley Cup in the same season since the award began, achieving this in 2016–17 and 2017–18 respectively.

Did You Know?

Rick Nash is the youngest player to ever win the trophy, receiving it at age 19.
In the 2003–04 season, Jarome Iginla, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Rick Nash shared the award after a three-way tie at 41 goals each.