The Rocket Richard Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards in the NHL as the award is given to the player who scores the most goals during the regular season.
Past winners of the Rocket Richard Trophy still active in the league include Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Sidney Crosby, David Pastrnak, Corey Perry, and nine-time winner Alex Ovechkin.
Below, we will be going over the Rocket Richard Trophy favourites for the 2024/25 season.
Auston Matthews | -110 |
David Pastrnak | +550 |
Connor McDavid | +800 |
Leon Draisaitl | +800 |
Kirill Kaprizov | +850 |
Filip Forsberg | +1200 |
Nathan MacKinnon | +1600 |
Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews is a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy recipient, and he is the reigning winner after scoring 69 goals which is the joint-15th-most in a single season in NHL history.
It appears the Leafs will run it back with their core four of Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, and this season they'll have a new coach in Craig Berube. The question is if Berube will lean into the team's offensive talent or if he'll strive to make the team stronger on the defensive end.
David Pastrnak finished seventh in the NHL in goals scored in the 2023/24 season with 47, and nine of his Boston Bruins teammates - not including himself - had at least 20 assists on the season.
'Pasta' won the Richard Trophy in the 2019/20 campaign with 48 goals, and he reached a career-high of 61 in 2022/23.
Connor McDavid failed to crack the top 20 goalscorers in the 2023/24 NHL season as he played the role of provider for the Edmonton Oilers to the tune of 100 assists on the season. Still, the fact the 2022/23 Richard Trophy winner had a 32-goal return in a down year would make most players jealous.
McDavid became the sixth player ever, and the first player since 2003, to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for best player in the postseason. After a '23/24 season in which then-new addition Zach Hyman emerged as the team's top goalscorer, McDavid could take over once again in '24/25.
Speaking of Edmonton Oilers superstars, Leon Draisaitl opens with the same odds as teammate McDavid to win the Richard Trophy. He has finished second in the goalscoring charts on two occasions, most recently in 2021/22.
Draisaitl has three seasons of 50+ goals under his belt and has not had a full season with fewer than 40 goals since 2017/18 - not including the pandemic-shortened 2020/21 campaign. The consistency has always been there, but can he get over the hump and finish atop the list in 2024/25?
Kirill Kaprizov is surrounded by talented young players on the Minnesota Wild, and the left-winger is entering his prime years. He finished last season with 46 goals in 75 games, and his supporting cast will have another year of valuable NHL experience heading into 2024/25.
Kaprizov has yet to win the Richard Trophy after four NHL seasons, but he has finished among the top-10 goalscorers in three seasons. His best season was 2021/22 in which he finished fifth with 47 goals, but he'll be shooting for 50+ this time around.
Season | Player | Team | No. of Goals |
2023/24 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 69 |
2022/23 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 64 |
2021/22 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 60 |
2020/21* | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 41 |
2019/20** | Alexander Ovechkin David Pastrnak | Washington Capitals Boston Bruins | 48 (tie) |
2018/19 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 51 |
2017/18 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 49 |
2016/17 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | 44 |
2015/16 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 50 |
2014/15 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 53 |
2013/14 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 51 |
2012/13*** | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 32 |
2011/12 | Steven Stamkos | Tampa Bay Lightning | 60 |
2010/11 | Corey Perry | Anaheim Ducks | 50 |
2009/10 | Sidney Crosby Steven Stamkos | Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning | 51 (tie) |
2008/09 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 56 |
2007/08 | Alexander Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 65 |
2006/07 | Vincent Lecavalier | Tampa Bay Lightning | 52 |
2005/06 | Jonathan Cheechoo | San Jose Sharks | 56 |
2004/05 | Season canceled - lockout | ||
2003/04 | Rick Nash Ilya Kovalchuk Jarome Iginla | Columbus Blue Jackets Atlanta Thrashers Calgary Flames | 41 (tie) |
2002/03 | Milan Hejduk | Colorado Avalanche | 50 |
2001/02 | Jarome Iginla | Calgary Flames | 52 |
2000/01 | Pavel Bure | Florida Panthers | 59 |
1999/00 | Pavel Bure | Florida Panthers | 58 |
1998/99 | Teemu Selanne | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | 47 |
* = Season shortened to 56 games due to pandemic
** = Season shortened to 68-71 games due to pandemic outbreak
*** = Season shortened to 48 games due to lockout
The Rocket Richard Trophy features a miniature statue of Maurice 'Rocket' Richard on top of a pedestal that features metal plates with past winners' names.
The trophy was first awarded at the conclusion of the 1998/99 season, the year that the only team Maurice 'Rocket' Richard played for, the Montreal Canadiens, donated the trophy to the NHL.
Since the Rocket Richard trophy is automatically awarded to the top scorer in the NHL, there is no announcement of voting results because no one votes for the award.
Instead, the award winner is known and announced at the conclusion of the final regular season game each year.
Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.