Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, or simply the Wales Trophy, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Eastern Conference playoff champions. The Montreal Canadiens have won this trophy 25 times, followed by the Boston Bruins with 15 times.
History
The Wales Trophy was donated by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII of the United Kingdom), in 1924. It was first presented to the regular season champion of the American Division of the NHL, but was repurposed to being the trophy for the overall regular season champion in the 1938-39 NHL season when the NHL reverted to a single division.
With the Modern Era expansion in the 1967-68 NHL season and the creation of the Western Division (now the Western Conference), the Wales Trophy was given to the East Division regular season champions. In the 1974-75 NHL season, the trophy was presented to the Wales Conference (formerly the East Division, and now the Eastern Conference) playoff champions, a function that continues to this day.
List of Prince of Wales Trophy Winners
