Ranking the top 5 worst Hart Trophy winners in NHL history

3. Chris Pronger

Chris Pronger is one of the best defensemen of the last 30 seasons. He’s best remembered for being a complete jerk and a dirty player, but he was also really darn good at hockey. Pronger’s best season came in 1999-00, when he won both the Norris Trophy and the Hart Trophy.

His Norris Trophy was earned. Pronger was the best defenseman that season by a country mile and he had a staggering plus-minus rating of +52. However, there were two far more deserving candidates.

Who should have won: The 1999-00 Hart Trophy race had two deserving winners – Jaromir Jagr and Pavel Bure. Two all-time greats who somehow have a grand total of one Hart Trophy win between them (Jagr in 1999).

Jaromir Jagr led the NHL in points for a third straight season despite missing 19 games. Jagr finished just one vote shy of Pronger. A second Hart Trophy win would have been great for his resume. But he wound up still putting together one of the most impressive career resumes of any NHL player ever.

And then there’s Pavel Bure. He wasted some of his best years on the Florida Panthers. His 1999-00 season was simply brilliant, as he scored 58 goals and had 94 points. Bure was a huge reason the Panthers barely made the playoffs, only to lose to the New Jersey Devils in the first round.

Why Pronger won: Because he threatened to hit voters in the face with a high elbow.