An annual award "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." Winner selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular schedule. The winner receives $10,000 and the runners-up $6,000 and $4,000.
| Year | Winner(s) |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche) |
| 2011 | Jeff Skinner (Carolina Hurricanes) |
| 2010 | Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres) |
| 2009 | Steve Mason (Columbus Blue Jackets) |
| 2008 | Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) |
| 2007 | Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) |
| 2006 | Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) |
| 2004 | Andrew Raycroft (Boston Bruins) |
| 2003 | Barret Jackman (St. Louis Blues) |
| 2002 | Dany Heatley (Atlanta Thrashers) |
| 2001 | Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks) |
| 2000 | Scott Gomez (New Jersey Devils) |
| 1999 | Chris Drury (Colorado Avalanche) |
| 1998 | Sergei Samsonov (Boston Bruins) |
| 1997 | Bryan Berard (New York Islanders) |
| 1996 | Daniel Alfredsson (Ottawa Senators) |
| 1995 | Peter Forsberg (Quebec Nordiques) |
| 1994 | Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) |
| 1993 | Teemu Selanne (Winnipeg Jets) |
| 1992 | Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) |
| 1991 | Ed Belfour (Chicago Blackhawks) |
| 1990 | Sergei Makarov (Calgary Flames) |
| 1989 | Brian Leetch (New York Rangers) |
| 1988 | Joe Nieuwendyk (Calgary Flames) |
| 1987 | Luc Robitaille (Los Angeles Kings) |
| 1986 | Gary Suter (Calgary Flames) |
| 1985 | Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) |
| 1984 | Tom Barrasso (Buffalo Sabres) |
| 1983 | Steve Larmer (Chicago Black Hawks) |
| 1982 | Dale Hawerchuk (Winnipeg Jets) |
| 1981 | Peter Stastny (Quebec Nordiques) |
| 1980 | Raymond Bourque (Boston Bruins) |
| 1979 | Bobby Smith (Minnesota North Stars) |
| 1978 | Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) |
| 1977 | Willi Plett (Atlanta Flames) |
| 1976 | Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders) |
| 1975 | Eric Vail (Atlanta Flames) |
| 1974 | Denis Potvin (New York Islanders) |
| 1973 | Steve Vickers (New York Rangers) |
| 1972 | Ken Dryden (Montreal Canadiens) |
| 1971 | Gilbert Perreault (Buffalo Sabres) |
| 1970 | Tony Esposito (Chicago Black Hawks) |
| 1969 | Danny Grant (Minnesota North Stars) |
| 1968 | Derek Sanderson (Boston Bruins) |
| 1967 | Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins) |
| 1966 | Brit Selby (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1965 | Roger Crozier (Detroit Red Wings) |
| 1964 | Jacques Laperriere (Montreal Canadiens) |
| 1963 | Kent Douglas (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1962 | Bobby Rousseau (Montreal Canadiens) |
| 1961 | Dave Keon (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1960 | Bill Hay (Chicago Black Hawks) |
| 1959 | Ralph Backstrom (Montreal Canadiens) |
| 1958 | Frank Mahovlich (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1957 | Larry Regan (Boston Bruins) |
| 1956 | Glenn Hall (Detroit Red Wings) |
| 1955 | Ed Litzenberger (Chicago Black Hawks) |
| 1954 | Camille Henry (New York Rangers) |
| 1953 | Gump Worsley (New York Rangers) |
| 1952 | Bernie Geoffrion (Montreal Canadiens) |
| 1951 | Terry Sawchuk (Detroit Red Wings) |
| 1950 | Jack Gelineau (Boston Bruins) |
| 1949 | Pentti Lund (New York Rangers) |
| 1948 | Jim McFadden (Detroit Red Wings) |
| 1947 | Howie Meeker (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1946 | Edgar Laprade (New York Rangers) |
| 1945 | Frank McCool (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1944 | Gus Bodnar (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1943 | Gaye Stewart (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1942 | Grant Warwick (New York Rangers) |
| 1941 | Johnny Quilty (Montreal Canadiens) |
| 1940 | Kilby MacDonald (New York Rangers) |
| 1939 | Frank Brimsek (Boston Bruins) |
| 1938 | Cully Dahlstrom (Chicago Black Hawks) |
| 1937 | Syl Apps Sr. (Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| 1936 | Mike Karakas (Chicago Black Hawks) |
| 1935 | David "Sweeney" Schriner (New York Americans) |
| 1934 | Russ Blinco (Montreal Maroons) |
| 1933 | Carl Voss (Detroit Red Wings) |
