Golden Knights' Jonathan Marchessault wins Conn Smythe Trophy

The winger was dominant down the stretch with all 13 of his goals and 23 points coming in the last 15 games of the postseason. He assisted in the closeout game during the 9-3 rout, and scored 4 goals and 8 points during the Stanley Cup Final.

The Golden Knights outpaced the gutsy Florida Panthers over five games to win the ultimate prize after dispatching the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

Despite doubts about Vegas’s win-at-all-costs trade policy and cap situation, the victory vindicates Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon’s aggressive title pursuit.

Marchessault, of Quebec, is the first French-Canadian player to win the Conn Smythe in two decades since J.S. Giguere won in a losing effort in 2003, and the last undrafted player to win the award since WHA export Wayne Gretzky last won in 1988. He is one of six original Vegas Golden Knights on the 2023 vintage of the team.

The Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup in just their sixth season since joining the league in 2017. Their failure during 2021-22 was the only time in the team’s history that it did not make the playoffs. The previous fastest expansion team to claim the trophy, the Philadelphia Flyers of 1973-1974, won after their seventh season.

Other contenders for the award were Mark Stone (9P in SCF), Jack Eichel (26P), goaltender Adin Hill (11-4) and Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk (4GWG).

The Golden Knights will feel bullish about their chances to repeat the feat in the coming seasons as superstar Eichel, top blueliner Alex Pietrangelo and captain Stone are all under contract through at least 2026.