The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey Leagues’ most outstanding goaltender. It is voted on by the 32 NHL general managers to determine who is the winner. It is named after the Montreal Canadian goaltender, George Vezina. Vezina played from 1910-1925. He played every game consecutively for the Canadians; his iron man streak ended on November 28, 1925, after leaving a game due to contracting a serious illness. George Vezina died on March 24, 1926, of tuberculosis.
History
The Trophy was the inspiration of three Montreal Canadian owners who wanted to honor their legendary goaltender by donating a trophy in his name to the National Hockey League, honoring the goalie that allows the fewest goals during the regular season. Joe Cattarinich, Leo Dandurand, and Louis Letourneau donated the award. Its first winner was George Vezina’s successor George Hainsworth at the end of the 1926-1927 season.
George Hainsworth played 44 games for the Canadians during the 1926-27 season; he led the league with 14 shutouts and allowed just 67 goals all year; he also won the Vezina in 1928 and 1929. In those three years, he had goals against averages of 1.47 (1927), 1.05 (1928), and .92 (1929).
The Trophy was first awarded after the 1926-1927 NHL season. From 1946-1947 to 1981-1982, the trophy was granted to the team’s goaltender(s), allowing the fewest goals during the regular season; since that time, the William Jennings Trophy is awarded for this accolade.
In the present age from 1981-1982 until today, the Vezina Trophy has been awarded to the most outstanding goaltender as voted by NHL general managers. General managers of all 31 teams vote at the season’s end on three finalists for the Trophy, with the Trophy being awarded after the Stanley Cup playoffs. Feisty Billy Smith and four-time Stanley Cup winner with the New York Islanders was the first to win the Vezina under the new criteria. The Williams M. Jennings Trophy is now awarded under the old rules of the Vezina and is now given to the goaltender who plays a minimum of 25 games and has the fewest goals against.
Since the Jennings Award’s introduction, the Vezina has been awarded based on play, not on goals-against average; in that time, it has been won six times in eight years by Dominik Hasek (1993-2001), Patrick Roy three times, and Martin Brodeur twice.
- 2021: Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
- 2020: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
- 2019: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2018: Pekka Rinne , Nashville Predators
- 2017: Sergei Bobrovsky , Columbus Blue Jackets
- 2016: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
- 2015: Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
- 2014: Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
- 2013: Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
- 2012: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
- 2011: Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
- 2010: Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
- 2009: Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
- 2008: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
- 2007: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
- 2006: Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
- 2004: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
- 2003: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
- 2002: Jose Theodore, Montreal Canadiens
- 2001: Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
- 2000: Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals
- 1999: Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
- 1998: Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
- 1997: Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
- 1996: Jim Carey, Washington Capitals
- 1995: Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
- 1994: Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
- 1993: Ed Belfour, Chicago Blackhawks
- 1992: Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens
- 1991: Ed Belfour, Chicago Blackhawks
- 1990: Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens
- 1989: Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens
- 1988: Grant Fuhr, Edmonton Oilers
- 1987: Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers
- 1986: John Vanbiesbrouck, New York Rangers
- 1985: Pelle Lindbergh, Philadelphia Flyers
- 1984: Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres
- 1983: Pete Peeters, Boston Bruins
- 1982: Billy Smith, New York Islanders
- 1981: Denis Herron/Michel Larocque/Richard Sevigny, Montreal Canadiens
- 1980: Don Edwards/Bob Sauve, Buffalo Sabres
- 1979: Ken Dryden/Michel Larocque, Montreal Canadiens
- 1978: Ken Dryden/Michel Larocque, Montreal Canadiens
- 1977: Ken Dryden/Michel Larocque, Montreal Canadiens
- 1976: Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens
- 1975: Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers
- 1974: Tony Esposito, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1974: Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers
- 1973: Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens
- 1972: Tony Esposito/Gary Smith, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1971: Ed Giacomin/Gilles Villemure, New York Rangers
- 1970: Tony Esposito, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1969: Glenn Hall/Jacques Plante, St. Louis Blues
- 1968: Gump Worsley/Rogatien Vachon, Montreal Canadiens
- 1967: Glenn Hall/Denis DeJordy, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1966: Gump Worsley/Charlie Hodge, Montreal Canadiens
- 1965: Johnny Bower/Terry Sawchuk, Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1964: Charlie Hodge, Montreal Canadiens
- 1963: Glenn Hall, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1962: Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens
- 1961: Johnny Bower, Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1960: Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens
- 1959: Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens
- 1958: Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens
- 1957: Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens
- 1956: Jacques Plante, Montreal Canadiens
- 1955: Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings
- 1954: Harry Lumley, Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1953: Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings
- 1952: Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings
- 1951: Al Rollins, Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1950: Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens
- 1949: Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens
- 1948: Turk Broda, Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1947: Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens
- 1946: Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens
- 1945: Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens
- 1944: Bill Durnan, Montreal Canadiens
- 1943: Johnny Mowers, Detroit Red Wings
- 1942: Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins
- 1941: Turk Broda, Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1940: David Kerr, New York Rangers
- 1939: Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins
- 1938: Tiny Thompson, Boston Bruins
- 1937: Normie Smith, Detroit Red Wings
- 1936: Tiny Thompson, Boston Bruins
- 1935: Lorne Chabot, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1934: Charlie Gardiner, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1933: Tiny Thompson, Boston Bruins
- 1932: Charlie Gardiner, Chicago Black Hawks
- 1931: Roy Worters, New York Americans
- 1930: Tiny Thompson, Boston Bruins
- 1929: George Hainsworth, Montreal Canadiens
- 1928: George Hainsworth, Montreal Canadiens
- 1927: George Hainsworth, Montreal Canadiens
Vezina Trophy Winners
*Note: From 1926-27 through 1980-81, awarded to the goalie(s) who played a minimum of 25 games for the team that allowed the fewest goals; since 1981-82, awarded to the outstanding goalie.
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Vezina Trophy
