All-time Hart trophy rankings - 5% threshold
This table shows the number of times each player finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. in Hart voting. Once again I'm cutting off the data once we get to players with less than a 5.0% vote share. This means I'm posting the top five almost every year, the top seven in a bit under half the years, and down to as low as 12th place on rare occasions.
Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ | Total |
Gordie Howe | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | | 1 | | | | 18 |
Wayne Gretzky | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 13 |
Sidney Crosby | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | 10 |
Mario Lemieux | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 9 |
Bobby Orr | 3 | | 4 | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 9 |
Jean Beliveau | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | 9 |
Bobby Hull | 2 | 2 | 4 | | 1 | | | | | | 9 |
Alexander Ovechkin | 3 | 2 | | | | 2 | 1 | | | | 8 |
Connor McDavid | 3 | 1 | 1 | | 2 | | | | | | 7 |
Jaromir Jagr | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 7 |
Red Kelly | | 2 | 1 | 1 | | 2 | | 1 | | | 7 |
Martin Brodeur | | | 3 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 7 |
Glenn Hall | | | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | | | 7 |
Bobby Clarke | 3 | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 6 |
Phil Esposito | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | 6 |
Dominik Hasek | 2 | 1 | 2 | | | | | 1 | | | 6 |
Guy Lafleur | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 6 |
Stan Mikita | 2 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | | 6 |
Ted Kennedy | 1 | 1 | | | 3 | | 1 | | | | 6 |
Maurice Richard | 1 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | 5 |
Milt Schmidt | 1 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | | | 5 |
Joe Thornton | 1 | | | 1 | 2 | 1 | | | | | 5 |
Nathan MacKinnon | | 2 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | | | | 5 |
Ray Bourque | | 2 | | | 2 | 1 | | | | | 5 |
Doug Harvey | | 1 | 1 | | 3 | | | | | | 5 |
Bryan Trottier | 1 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | 4 |
Evgeni Malkin | 1 | 2 | | | | | 1 | | | | 4 |
Andy Bathgate | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | 4 |
Eric Lindros | 1 | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | 4 |
Patrick Kane | 1 | | | | | 2 | | 1 | | | 4 |
Joe Sakic | 1 | | | | | 1 | 2 | | | | 4 |
Marcel Dionne | | 1 | 2 | | 1 | | | | | | 4 |
Tony Esposito | | 1 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | | | | 4 |
Patrick Roy | | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 4 |
Denis Potvin | | 1 | | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 4 |
Terry Sawchuk | | | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | 4 |
Henri Richard | | | | 2 | | 1 | 1 | | | | 4 |
Nicklas Lidstrom | | | | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | | 1 | 4 |
Mark Messier | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | 3 |
Jarome Iginla | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | 3 |
Brett Hull | 1 | | 2 | | | | | | | | 3 |
Nikita Kucherov | 1 | | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | 3 |
Rod Langway | | 1 | | 2 | | | | | | | 3 |
Ken Dryden | | 1 | | 2 | | | | | | | 3 |
Doug Gilmour | | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 3 |
Markus Naslund | | 1 | | | 2 | | | | | | 3 |
Ryan Getzlaf | | 1 | | | | 1 | 1 | | | | 3 |
Paul Kariya | | 1 | | | | | | 1 | 1 | | 3 |
Claude Giroux | | | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | 3 |
Teemu Selanne | | | 1 | | 2 | | | | | | 3 |
Ted Lindsay | | | | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | | 3 |
Brad Marchand | | | | | 2 | | 1 | | | | 3 |
Auston Matthews | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | 2 |
Al Rollins | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | 2 |
Martin St. Louis | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | 2 |
Sid Abel | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Jacques Plante | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Sergei Fedorov | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Peter Forsberg | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Bernie Geoffrion | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Carey Price | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Chuck Rayner | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Leon Draisaitl | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Elmer Lach | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | 2 |
Mike Liut | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | 2 |
Rogie Vachon | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | 2 |
David Pastrnak | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Bernie Parent | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Bill Durnan | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Norm Ullman | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Harry Lumley | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Grant Fuhr | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | | 2 |
Tod Sloan | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | | 2 |
Roberto Luongo | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | | 2 |
Eddie Giacomin | | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Johnny Bower | | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
John Tavares | | | 2 | | | | | | | | 2 |
Mike Bossy | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Red Berenson | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Steve Yzerman | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Max Bentley | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Miikka Kiprusoff | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
Sergei Boborvsky | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Denis Savard | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
John Vanbiesbrouck | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Mark Howe | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Gump Worsley | | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Pavel Bure | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 | | 2 |
Ed Belfour | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 | 2 |
Paul Coffey | | | | 2 | | | | | | | 2 |
Johnny Gaudreau | | | | 2 | | | | | | | 2 |
Frank Mahovlich | | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Charlie Hodge | | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 2 |
Dave Keon | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 2 |
Jonathan Toews | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | 2 |
Jean Ratelle | | | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | 2 |
Brad Park | | | | | 2 | | | | | | 2 |
Bert Olmstead | | | | | 1 | 1 | | | | | 2 |
Gilbert Perreault | | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | 2 |
Tim Thomas | | | | | 1 | | 1 | | | | 2 |
John LeClair | | | | | | 1 | 1 | | | | 2 |
Mike Modano | | | | | | | 2 | | | | 2 |
Scott Niedermayer | | | | | | | | 1 | 1 | | 2 |
Mats Sundin | | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 | 2 |
Henrik Sedin | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Corey Perry | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Buddy O'Connor | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Jose Theodore | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Taylor Hall | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Chris Pronger | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Frank Brimsek | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Dale Hawerchuk | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Daniel Sedin | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Steven Stamkos | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Pete Peeters | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Alexei Yashin | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 |
Matthew Tkachuk | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Igor Shesterkin | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Pat Lafontaine | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Jamie Benn | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Pelle Lindbergh | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Darryl Sittler | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Jim Henry | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Anze Kopitar | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Artemi Panarin | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Henrik Lundqvist | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Roy Conacher | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Pavel Datsyuk | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 |
Adam Oates | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Kirk McLean | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Gerry McNeil | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Charlie Rayner | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Semyon Varlamov | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Curtis Joseph | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Don Edwards | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Eric Staal | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Olaf Kolzig | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Vincent Lecavalier | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Paul Ronty | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Devan Dubnyk | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Pekka Rinne | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Steve Mason | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Doug Bentley | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Turk Broda | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Rick Middleton | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Braden Holtby | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Brent Burns | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Roger Crozier | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Borje Salming | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Roman Cechmanek | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Ryan Miller | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Jason Robertson | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Sean Burke | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 |
Syl Apps | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Zach Parise | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Ilya Bryzgalov | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Dickie Moore | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Larry Robinson | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Mike Palmateer | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Jonathan Quick | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Harry Howell | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Theo Fleury | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Owen Nolan | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Patrice Bergeron | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Erik Karlsson | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Daniel Alfredsson | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Jeremy Roenick | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Danny Gare | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Todd Bertuzzi | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Vic Hadfield | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Jonathan Huberdeau | | | | | 1 | | | | | | 1 |
Gary Smith | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Ed Litzenberger | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Tyler Seguin | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Brono Horvath | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Jason Spezza | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Bob Pulford | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Connor Hellebuyck | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Patrik Elias | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Aleksander Barkov | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Roman Josi | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Mikko Rantanen | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Serge Savard | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Johnny Wilson | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Peter Bondra | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Bill Gadsby | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Doug Weight | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Roman Turek | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Ron Francis | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Al MacInnis | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Mark Recchi | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 |
Joe Pavelski | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
Rod Gilbert | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
Ed Giacomin | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
Andrei Vasilevsky | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
Kirill Kaprizov | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
Evgeni Nabokov | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
Edgar Laprade | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 |
Marty Turco | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Terry O'Reilly | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Gaye Stewart | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Jack Hughes | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Jim Carey | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Alex Kovalev | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Zdeno Chara | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Ryan Kesler | | | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 |
Leo Labine | | | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 |
Ilya Sorokin | | | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 |
Danny Lewicki | | | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 |
Red Sullivan | | | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 |
Byron Dafoe | | | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 |
Ilya Kovalchuk | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 1 |
Note that many of these players (most notably M. Richard) played several years before I started tracking the data (but the "war years" immediately prior 1947 had a watered down talent pool, as most of the best players served in the Armed Forces). The table obviously doesn't represent players from the previous generation (Shore, Morenz, etc).
I actually thought it would be closer between Howe and Gretzky. Yes, Gretzky dominated the Hart voting to a greater extent (we'll see that in the next chart) but Howe had a Hart calibre season a staggering 18 times during his career! He earned at least a 5% vote share five seasons in a row (1951-1955), had an "off year" in 1956, then earned that share thirteen consecutive seasons (1957-1969).
There have been six players who were serious candidates for the Hart trophy 5+ times but never won, the closest being Red Kelly (7 "significant" seasons as I've defined it, with two of those as runner-up). (2023 update - Nathan MacKinnon joins this list)
The Hart has historically been heavily biased in favour of forwards. Of the 25 players with 5+ seasons with a 5% vote share, 18 are forwards. There are just four such defensemen (Orr, Kelly, Bourque, Harvey) and three goalies (Brodeur, Hall, Hasek).
There are six "one season wonders" - players who won the Hart and never again had a significant season (from the perspective of Hart voting). Some, of course, are far from one season wonders (Pronger is an obvious Hall of Famer) but Jose Theodore and Buddy O'Connor really stand out.
Best player to never have a significant Hart season? At a first glance, I'd say Peter Stastny, but let me know if I missed anybody better. (The best player to never receive any Hart votes at all - probably Luc Robitaille).