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The NHL is a league that awards some of the most unique trophies compared to other leagues, such as the Rocket Richard Trophy for the league leader in goals and the Vezina Trophy for the best goaltender. However, they still award an MVP, the Hart Trophy. Multiple household names won the award, but we looked at the top five oldest NHL MVPs ever.
Beginning our list of the top five oldest NHL MVPs of all time are two 35-year-olds, starting with Eddie Shore. As you can see, this was nearly 90 years ago, so it does not get discussed often. It’s also why the stats from that time should be taken with a grain of salt.
His 17 points through 48 games certainly don’t jump off the page, but defensemen in those days were not the same type of offensive generators as today. Shore proved that, as his four Hart Trophies are the most among any defenseman. His Boston Bruins made it to the semifinals that season, but the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.
Believe it or not, the other 35-year-old among the top five oldest NHL MVPs was even earlier than Shore. Herb Gardiner was also a defenseman, so his offensive numbers were quite similar to Shore’s stats.
In his first season with the Montreal Canadiens, Gardiner recorded 13 points in 44 games, leading the team to the semifinals. While Eddie Shore is one of the best defensemen of all time, and the others on this list are largely household names, what makes Gardiner unique is that he played just 100 games in five total seasons in the NHL. Still, it takes just one year to make it on the list of the top five oldest NHL MVPs.
Speaking of household names among NHL fans, Gordie Howe is near the top of that list. He was only a year younger than our top two guys, but with his MVP season occurring significantly later, his stats are much more of what we’re accustomed to. Howe recorded 86 points through 70 games, falling just two goals short of the coveted 40-goal season.
His Detroit Red Wings also made the Stanley Cup Final that season but lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, Howe led the league in points in 1962-63, meaning he also won the Art Ross Trophy this same season. Ultimately, this was the last of Howe’s incredible six MVPs and six Art Ross Trophies.
Ticking down just one more year to 33 brings us a skater who is far more recent and the first goaltender among the top five oldest NHL MVPs of all time. Dominik Hasek played over 15 years in the NHL for several teams, but his most notable years were with the Buffalo Sabres.
His .932 save percentage in this MVP season is remarkable, and the middle of three seasons in which it was .930% or better. He allowed barely more than two goals per game and recorded a whopping 13 shutouts. As expected, he also won the Vezina Trophy this same season, something he did six times in his illustrious career.
Going back to the 1960’s and the Montreal Canadiens brings us to Jacques Plante. This was his penultimate season with the Habs, as he played 11 seasons with them en route to a 20-year career. In this MVP season, he led the NHL in wins by a goaltender, and it wasn’t even close.
His 42 wins were 11 more than the next closest netminder, and his .923 save percentage was the second-best among qualified goalies. Similarly, his 1,994 saves were the most in the league, and his 2.37 goals allowed per game were also the second-best. Across the board, he was as consistent as it got despite the Habs getting knocked out as the #1 seed in the playoffs.
Mark has been a lifelong fan of all sports, and five years ago turned it into a profession, specializing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. He is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and has had his work published in sites such as Sports Illustrated, Pickswise and other top outlets.