Following the Florida Panthers' victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Connor McDavid as the Conn Smythe winner. McDavid, widely regarded as the best player in the world, became the first player since 2003 to earn the Conn Smythe despite being on the losing team.
In 2003, Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere won the Conn Smythe and was present for the presentation, unlike McDavid, who opted not to go out and accept his award.
Apart from McDavid and Giguere, only Ron Hextall, Reggie Leach, Glenn Hall, and Roger Crozier have won the Conn Smythe while on the losing team. It's understandable why McDavid chose not to come out for the trophy ceremony, but Giguere was required to do so in 2003, which explains why he feels McDavid should have as well.
