Gregory, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007 in the Builders category, served as Toronto Maple Leafs GM and was an NHL executive for four decades.
He died Oct. 30 at age 83
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"We have one trophy that is the [general] manager's trophy, the [general] manager of the year, and we don't have a name on it," NHL executive vice president Colin Campbell said Tuesday. "It was suggested and recommended by all the managers that it be named after Jim Gregory. That's our announcement. It now will be the Jim Gregory Manager of the Year Award."
The trophy first was presented in 2009-10 as the NHL General Manager of the Year Award. The name change unanimously was approved by League general managers at their annual November meeting in Toronto.
"This is a terrific tribute to a wonderful man by a group uniquely qualified to appreciate his many contributions to our game," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "During his tenure as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jim Gregory transformed the art of team-building. Through the many years he spent at the League, our general managers regularly sought his counsel. They universally revere his lifetime of service to the NHL."
