#NHLPeachy @NHL #LadyByng Caufield, Kopitar and Sanderson Voted Lady Byng Trophy Finalists
Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield, Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson are the three finalists for the 2025 26 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Lady Byng Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists.
Following are the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Cole Caufield, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Caufield enjoyed a historic season as Montreal’s first 50-goal scorer in 36 years, helping the Canadiens (48-24-10, 106 points) post their second-highest standings points total in that span. Caufield notched 51-37—88 in 81 games, finishing second in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy behind Nathan MacKinnon (53 goals) and tying the seventh-highest goal tally in franchise history. Among those 51 were 29 go-ahead goals, the second-highest figure for a single season in League history behind Brett Hull (39 in 1990-91). He did so while taking just seven minor penalties for a total of 14 penalty minutes, the fewest among the NHL’s 45 players with at least 30 goals. The 25-year-old, a first-time NHL Awards finalist, is the first Lady Byng Trophy finalist representing the Canadiens since Mats Naslund (1st in 1987-88, 3rd in 1985-86 and 1988-89). Two Canadiens players have won the Lady Byng since the trophy’s founding in 1924-25: Naslund and Toe Blake (1945-46).
Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles Kings
Kopitar skated in his 20th and final NHL campaign and 10th as the Kings’ captain, recording 12-26—38 and a team-leading +19 rating in 67 contests to help Los Angeles (35-27-20, 90 points) reach the postseason for the fifth consecutive season. The 38-year-old, who logged an average of 19:07 per game with just 10 penalty minutes, recorded at least 25 assists in each of his 20 seasons. He became the Kings’ all-time leading scorer on March 14 when he tallied his 1,308th point to surpass Marcel Dionne (550-757—1,307). He retired holding a host of regular-season franchise records that include games (1,521), game-winning goals (79), assists (864) and points (452-864—1,316). A three-time Lady Byng Trophy winner (2015-16, 2022-23 and 2024-25), Kopitar is vying to become the first repeat winner since Martin St. Louis (2009-10 and 2010-11) and just the fifth four-time winner in the trophy’s 101-year history (Frank Boucher 7x, Wayne Gretzky 5x, Pavel Datsyuk 4x, Red Kelly 4x).
Jake Sanderson, D, Ottawa Senators
Sanderson was the top point-producer from the blueline (14-40—54) for the highest-scoring Senators team in 19 years, helping the club (44-27-11, 99 points) qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season. Appearing in 67 games and logging a team-leading average of 24:50 per contest, the fourth-year NHLer received just eight penalty minutes; the only players ever to match Sanderson in games and average ice time with fewer PIMs were Tomas Kaberle (2 in 2001-02 with TOR) and Lady Byng Trophy recipient Brian Campbell (6 in 2011-12 with FLA). Sanderson, 23, is a first-time NHL Awards finalist and the second player in franchise history voted a Lady Byng Trophy finalist; Senators assistant coach Daniel Alfredsson finished second in balloting in 2003-04. Four defensemen all-time have won it: Jaccob Slavin (2020-21 and 2023-24), Campbell (2011-12), Red Kelly (3x, most recently 1953-54) and Bill Quackenbush (1948-49).
History
Lady Byng, wife of Canada’s Governor General at the time, presented the Lady Byng Trophy during the 1924-25 season. After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight seasons, he was given the trophy to keep and Lady Byng donated another trophy in 1936. After Lady Byng’s death in 1949, the NHL presented a new trophy, changing the name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
Announcement Schedule
The series of NHL Trophy finalist announcements continues Friday, May 1, when the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award will be unveiled.
