The James Gatschene Memorial Trophy was awarded annually to the International Hockey League player selected as most valuable

Most Valuable Player

In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...

 through his display of outstanding playing ability and sportsmanlike conduct

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors...

 over the course of the regular season, as chosen by the league coaches.

The trophy was first presented at the close of the 1946-1947 season by workers of the Chrysler

Chrysler

Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....

 factory in Windsor, Ontario

Windsor, Ontario

Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...

, as a memorial to Gatschene, a former Chrysler employee and hockey star in the Windsor-Detroit

Windsor-Detroit

The Detroit–Windsor region is an international urban area centred on the American city of Detroit, Michigan, the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario and the Detroit River between them. The Detroit–Windsor area, a critical commercial link straddling the Canada-U.S. border, has a total population of...

 area. Gatschene was a member of the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

, killed in action during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Winners

Season	Winner	Team
1946-47	Herb Jones	Detroit Auto Club
1947-48	Lyle Dowell	Detroit Bright's Goodyears
1948-49	Bob McFadden	Detroit Jerry Lynch
1949-50	Dick Kowcinak Dick Kowcinak Dick Kowcinak was a Canadian ice hockey left winger who played for the Trail Smoke Eaters who won the Allan Cup and the 1939 World Ice Hockey Championships...	Sarnia Sailors
1950-51	John McGrath John McGrath John Peter McGrath, , was a Liverpudlian-Irish playwright and theatre theorist who grew up in Wales and notably took up the cause of Scottish independence in his plays...	Toledo Mercurys
1951-52	Ernie Dick	Chatham Maroons
1952-53	Don Marshall Don Marshall Donald Robert Marshall is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Verdun, Quebec.Don played in the National Hockey League from 1951 to 1972. During this time, he played for the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens...	Cincinnati Mohawks
1953-54	no award
1954-55	Phil Goyette Phil Goyette Philippe Joseph Georges Goyette is a retired professional ice hockey centreman who played in the NHL for 16 seasons between 1956 and 1972.-Playing career:...	Cincinnati Mohawks
1955-56	George Hayes George Hayes (ice hockey) George Hayes was a linesman in the National Hockey League.Hayes started officiating in the NHL in 1946. He was the first official to work 1,000 games. He was also a part of a European tour with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins in 1959...	Grand Rapids Rockets
1956-57	Pierre Brillant	Indianapolis Chiefs
1957-58	Pierre Brillant	Indianapolis Chiefs
1958-59	Len Thornson Len Thornson Len Thornson is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Thornson spent his entire professional hockey career in the International Hockey League , mostly with the Fort Wayne Komets. He also spent part of one season with the Indianapolis Chiefs and the Huntington Hornets...	Fort Wayne Komets
1959-60	Billy Reichart	Minneapolis Millers
1960-61	Len Thornson Len Thornson Len Thornson is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Thornson spent his entire professional hockey career in the International Hockey League , mostly with the Fort Wayne Komets. He also spent part of one season with the Indianapolis Chiefs and the Huntington Hornets...	Fort Wayne Komets
1961-62	Eddie Long	Fort Wayne Komets
1962-63	Len Thornson Len Thornson Len Thornson is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Thornson spent his entire professional hockey career in the International Hockey League , mostly with the Fort Wayne Komets. He also spent part of one season with the Indianapolis Chiefs and the Huntington Hornets...	Fort Wayne Komets
1963-64	Len Thornson Len Thornson Len Thornson is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Thornson spent his entire professional hockey career in the International Hockey League , mostly with the Fort Wayne Komets. He also spent part of one season with the Indianapolis Chiefs and the Huntington Hornets...	Fort Wayne Komets
1964-65	William "Chick" Chalmers	Toledo Blades
1965-66	Gary Schall	Muskegon Mohawks
1966-67	Len Thornson Len Thornson Len Thornson is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Thornson spent his entire professional hockey career in the International Hockey League , mostly with the Fort Wayne Komets. He also spent part of one season with the Indianapolis Chiefs and the Huntington Hornets...	Fort Wayne Komets
1967-68	Don Westbrooke	Dayton Gems
	Len Thornson Len Thornson Len Thornson is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Thornson spent his entire professional hockey career in the International Hockey League , mostly with the Fort Wayne Komets. He also spent part of one season with the Indianapolis Chiefs and the Huntington Hornets...	Fort Wayne Komets
1968-69	Don Westbrooke	Dayton Gems
1969-70	Cliff Pennington	Des Moines Oak Leafs
1970-71	Lyle Carter Lyle Carter Lyle Dwight Carter is a former professional hockey goalie, who played briely in the NHL. He was also an all-Canadian softball player....	Muskegon Mohawks
1971-72	Len Fontaine Len Fontaine Leonard Joseph Fontaine is a professional hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League.- External links :...	Port Huron Wings
1972-73	Gary Ford Gary Ford Gary Ford is an English former footballer. He played on the right-wing.-Playing career:Ford started playing with small York based team, Leeman United and then turned professional with York City at 18-years-of-age in February 1979. He stayed at the club for the next eight years, racking up 435...	Muskegon Mohawks
1973-74	Peter Mara Peter Mara Peter Mara is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He would play 107 games in the World Hockey Association with the Chicago Cougars, Denver Spurs, and Ottawa Civics....	Des Moines Capitols
1974-75	Gary Ford Gary Ford Gary Ford is an English former footballer. He played on the right-wing.-Playing career:Ford started playing with small York based team, Leeman United and then turned professional with York City at 18-years-of-age in February 1979. He stayed at the club for the next eight years, racking up 435...	Muskegon Mohawks
1975-76	Len Fontaine Len Fontaine Leonard Joseph Fontaine is a professional hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League.- External links :...	Port Huron Flags
1976-77	Tom Mellor Tom Mellor Thomas Robert Mellor is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman.Mellor was drafted 68th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 1970 NHL Amateur Draft and played 26 regular season games in the National Hockey League for Detroit between 1973 and 1975...	Toledo Goaldiggers
1977-78	Dan Bonar Dan Bonar Daniel Gordon Bonar is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 170 games in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings.-Awards and achievements:...	Fort Wayne Komets
1978-79	Terry McDougall	Fort Wayne Komets
1979-80	Al Dumba	Fort Wayne Komets
1980-81	Marcel Comeau	Saginaw Gears
1981-82	Brent Jarrett	Kalamazoo Wings
1982-83	Claude Noel Claude Noel Claude Noël is a former Canadian ice hockey player and the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. Prior to joining Winnipeg, he was head coach of the Manitoba Moose of the AHL...	Toledo Goaldiggers
1983-84	Darren Jensen Darren Jensen Darren Aksel Jensen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Jensen was a talented college goalkeeper for the University of North Dakota, and won the NCAA Tournament with them....	Fort Wayne Komets
1984-85	Scott Gruhl Scott Gruhl Scott Gruhl is a former professional ice hockey player.-Career:Left winger Scott Gruhl was an offensive player who spent parts of three years in the NHL during the 80s...	Muskegon Mohawks
1985-86	Darrell May Darrell May Darrell Kevin May is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who last played for the New York Yankees. May stands at 6'2" tall and weighs 190 pounds...	Peoria Rivermen
1986-87	Jeff Pyle Jeff Pyle (ice hockey) Jeff Pyle is an American former ice hockey player. He is currently the head coach of the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League....	Saginaw Generals
	Jock Callander Jock Callander William Darren "Jock" Callander is a former professional ice hockey player.-Career:The younger brother of Drew, Jock Callander replaced a small NHL career with a historic one in the IHL. Never drafted, he had brief stops with St...	Muskegon Lumberjacks
1987-88	John Cullen John Cullen John Cullen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. He was a standout player for Boston University and is the school's all-time leading scorer...	Flint Spirits
1988-89	Dave Michayluk Dave Michayluk David Michayluk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 21 games in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins...	Muskegon Lumberjacks
1989-90	Michel Mongeau Michel Mongeau Michel Mongeau was a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played 54 games in the National Hockey League: 50 with the St. Louis Blues and four with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He died May 22, 2010.-External links:...	Peoria Rivermen
1990-91	David Bruce David Bruce David Bruce may refer to:* David Bruce , founder of the Firkin Brewery pub chain*David Bruce , Scottish physician* David II of Scotland , David Bruce, King of Scots, son of King Robert the Bruce...	Peoria Rivermen
1991-92	Dmitri Kvartalnov Dmitri Kvartalnov Dmitri Vyacheslavovich Kvartalnov is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 112 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the Boston Bruins...	San Diego Gulls
1992-93	Tony Hrkac Tony Hrkac Anthony J. "Tony" Hrkac is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played eighteen season of professional hockey. He is currently head coach of the Concordia University Men's Ice Hockey Team.-College:...	Indianapolis Ice
1993-94	Rob Brown	Kalamazoo Wings
1994-95	Tommy Salo Tommy Salo Tommy Mikael Salo is a Swedish General Manager of Swedish ice hockey club Leksands IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan. He is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and a former head coach of IK Oskarshamn.-Playing career:...	Denver Grizzlies
1995-96	Stephane Beauregard Stephane Beauregard Stephane Beauregard is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Winnipeg Jets 3rd choice, 52nd overall, in 1988 Entry Draft. Traded to Buffalo Sabres for Christian Ruuttu and future considerations, June 15, 1992...	San Francisco Spiders
1996-97	Frederic Chabot Frederic Chabot Frédéric Chabot is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings.-Playing career:...	Houston Aeros
1997-98	Patrice Lefebvre Patrice Lefebvre Patrice Lefebvre is a Canadian former ice hockey forward who played three games in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals during the 1998–99 NHL season...	Las Vagas Thunder
1998-99	Brian Wiseman Brian Wiseman Brian Wiseman was a Canadian ice hockey forward and college assistant coach.As a novice player, Brian scored an astounding 413 goals in a single season. This broke a record held by Wayne Gretzky, and brought about national attention to the nine year-old Wiseman.Brian owns the only retired number...	Houston Aeros
1999-00	Frederic Chabot Frederic Chabot Frédéric Chabot is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings.-Playing career:...	Houston Aeros
	Nikolai Khabibulin Nikolai Khabibulin Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...	Long Beach Ice Dogs
2000-01	Norm Maracle Norm Maracle Norm Maracle is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers...	Orlando Solar Bears