The award goes "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." Connor was a first-time finalist and the first Winnipeg player to win the award. He amassed 47 goals, 93 points, 317 shots and only four penalty minutes in 79 games during the 2021-22 season. His penalty-minute total was the fewest among the top 100 scorers who played in a minimum of 50 contests. Carolina's Jaccob Slavin and Minnesota's Jared Spurgeon were the other finalists for the award and they finished second and third in voting, respectively. 

Connor scored 47 goals and 93 points in 79 contests while logging just four penalty minutes. It's the first time he spent less than 12 minutes in the sin bin outside of his 20-game stint as a rookie in 2016-17.

Connor capped Winnipeg's third-period comeback with the game winner at the 9:05 mark of the final frame. The Jets got goals from Blake Wheeler and Dominic Toninato before that to rally from a 3-1 deficit. Connor set new personal highs in 2021-22 goals, assists (46), points (93) and shots (317) across 79 games. 

Connor opened his strong night with an assist on Pierre-Luc Dubois' first-period goal. He would add his second assist of the evening on Nikolaj Ehlers' second-period goal. With the helpers logged, he then took an easy one for himself, scoring an empty-net goal with under a minute remaining in regulation. Overall this season, Connor has posted 46 goals and 92 points across 77 games played. He has now scored a goal in three consecutive games and four of his last five contests.