The Hart Trophy, introduced for the 1923–24 National Hockey League season, honoring the player considered most valuable to his team.

The inaugural recipient of the trophy, at the conclusion of the 1923–24 NHL season, was centre forward Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators.

The original Hart Trophy was donated to the league by Dr. David Hart, father of future Montreal Canadiens head coach Cecil Hart. It was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960 and replaced by the new Hart Memorial Trophy.