Vezina Trophy (National Hockey League)

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.

***Williams M. Jennings Award Introduced in 1981-1982***

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.