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The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team." The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in all NHL cities at the end of the regular season.
The Hart Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL in 1960 after the original Hart Trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The original trophy was donated to the NHL in 1923 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
Wayne Gretzky won the award a record nine times during his career, including eight in a row from 1980-87. Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings) and longtime teammate Mark Messier (Oilers, New York Rangers) are the only players to win the Hart with more than one team. In 1990, Messier edged Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins by two votes, the closest vote so far.
