The Mike Kelley Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player of the Mann Cup competition.
The trophy is named after Michael Edward Francis "Mike" Kelley who was the owner and manager of the Hamilton Tigers lacrosse club in the early 1930s - and later the president of the Ontario Lacrosse Association and Canadian Lacrosse Association.
For some unknown reason, Kelley's name was misspelled and perpetuated as "Kelly" until the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame was notified in 2014 of the error by the grandson of Mike Kelley. The Canadian Lacrosse Association and Canadian Lacrosse Foundation were notified during the 2015 Mann Cup series and corrections to the spelling would be made moving forward.
The Mann Cup is the senior men's lacrosse championship of Canada. The championship series is played between the Western Lacrosse Association champion and the Major Series Lacrosse champion.
Year Player TeamNo.1941Blackie BlackRichmond Farmers11942Bert LargeMimico-Brampton Combines11943Bill WilkesNew Westminster Salmonbellies11944Ike HildebrandNew Westminster Salmonbellies11945Frank LeeVancouver Burrards11946Doug Favell Sr.St. Catharines Athletics11947Bob LeeNew Westminster Adanacs11948Doug Favell Sr.Hamilton Tigers21949Don MathesonVancouver Burrards11950Lloyd "Moon" WoottonOwen Sound Crescents11951Lloyd "Moon" WoottonPeterborough Timbermen21952Lou NicklePeterborough Timbermen11953Ross PowlessPeterborough Trailermen11954Lloyd "Moon" WoottonPeterborough Trailermen31955Geordie JohnsonVictoria Shamrocks11956Derry DaviesNanaimo Timbermen11957Jack NorthupVictoria Shamrocks11958Norm MckayNew Westminster Salmonbellies11959Jack BiondaNew Westminster O'Keefes11960Dave "Porky" RussellPort Credit Sailors11961Bill BarbourVancouver Burrards11962Jack BiondaNew Westminster O'Keefes21963Gordie GimpleVancouver Carlings11964Bob AllanBrooklin Merchants11965Les NormanNew Westminster Salmonbellies11966John DavisPeterborough Lakers11967John Davis Brooklin Redmen 2John CerviVancouver Carlings11968Joe TomchishenBrooklin Redmen11969Bill SquireBrooklin Redmen11970Paul ParnellNew Westminster Salmonbellies11971Bob McCreadyBrantford Warriors11972Paul ParnellNew Westminster Salmonbellies21973Pat BakerPeterborough Lakers11974Ken WinzoskiNew Westminster Salmonbellies11975Ron PinderVancouver Burrards11976Dave DuranteNew Westminster Salmonbellies11977Doug HayesVancouver Burrards1Mike SmithVancouver Burrards11978Tim BarriePeterborough Red Oaks11979Ivan ThompsonVictoria Shamrocks11980Barry MarukBrampton Excelsiors11981Wayne GossNew Westminster Salmonbellies11982Jim WassonPeterborough Lakers11983John CrowtherVictoria Pay Less11984John Grant Sr.Peterborough Lakers11985Wayne ColleyBrooklin Redmen11986Geordie DeanNew Westminster Salmonbellies11987Jim MeredithBrooklin Redmen1Eric CowiesonNew Westminster Salmonbellies11988Bill ThomasCoquitlam Adanacs11989Ben HieltjesNew Westminster Salmonbellies11990Paul GaitBrooklin Redmen11991Geordie DeanNew Westminster Salmonbellies21992John TavaresBrampton Excelsiors11993John TavaresBrampton Excelsiors21994Darris KilgourSix Nations Chiefs11995Paul GaitSix Nations Chiefs21996John TavaresSix Nations Chiefs31997Gary GaitVictoria Shamrocks11998Pat O'TooleBrampton Excelsiors11999Gary GaitVictoria Shamrocks2Paul GaitVictoria Shamrocks32000Nick TrudeauBrooklin Redmen12001Andy OgilvieCoquitlam Adanacs12002Josh SandersonBrampton Excelsiors12003Andrew TurnerVictoria Shamrocks12004John Grant Jr.Peterborough Lakers12005Anthony CosmoVictoria Shamrocks12006Dan CareyPeterborough Lakers12007John Grant Jr.Peterborough Lakers22008Anthony CosmoBrampton Excelsiors22009Shawn WilliamsBrampton Excelsiors12010Shawn EvansPeterborough Lakers12011Anthony CosmoBrampton Excelsiors32012Mike ThompsonPeterborough Lakers12013Cody JamiesonSix Nations Chiefs12014Brandon MillerSix Nations Chiefs12015Corey SmallVictoria Shamrocks12016Dan DawsonSix Nation Chiefs12017Shawn EvansPeterborough Lakers22018Shawn EvansPeterborough Lakers32019Mike PoulinPeterborough Lakers12020Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic20212022Curtis DicksonLangley Thunder12023Cody JamiesonSix Nations Chiefs22024Lyle ThompsonSix Nations Chiefs12025Ryan SmithSix Nations Chiefs1 Source:
See also Lt. Raymond Enners Award, MVP award of the NCAA men's college lacrosse National Lacrosse League MVP Award
References