2024/25 NHL Rocket Richard Trophy: Odds, winners, trophy, when is it awarded?

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.

2024/25 NHL Rocket Richard Trophy odds

Auston Matthews	-110
David Pastrnak	+550
Connor McDavid	+800
Leon Draisaitl	+800
Kirill Kaprizov	+850
Filip Forsberg	+1200
Nathan MacKinnon	+1600

Auston Matthews -110

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 +550

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 +800

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.

Leon Draisaitl +800

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 +850

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.

NHL Rocket Richard Trophy past winners

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

NHL Rocket Richard Trophy information

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.

NHL Rocket Richard Trophy announcement

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.