The NHL announced the three finalists for the 2025 Vezina Trophy and one goaltender was noticeably omitted, at least to Caps fans: Logan Thompson.
The netminders up for the award are Connor Hellebuyck, Darcy Kuemper, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. The award winner is voted on by NHL general managers, who submitted their choices at the end of the regular season.
Thompson’s omission comes after putting up a 31-6-6 record in 43 games with the Washington Capitals this season, helping lead the club to the most standings points in the Eastern Conference. Thompson posted a 2.49 goals against average (7th best among goalies who appeared in 25+ games), .910 save percentage (9th best among goalies who appeared in 25+ games), and two shutouts.
Thompson’s most impressive statistic was that he finished the season third in goals saved above expected with 26.0, trailing only Hellebuyck (39.6) and Vasilevskiy (29.2) in the category. Thompson had been second for much of the season before the Capitals slumped late in the season after being the first team in the NHL to clinch a playoff spot.
The likely winner of the award will be last season’s winner: Connor Hellebuyck. The Winnipeg Jets’ star netminder posted a 47-12-3 record with a 2.00 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and eight shutouts in 63 appearances. The Jets were the NHL’s best team in the regular season (56-22-4, 116 points), notching their first Presidents’ Trophy.
Kuemper’s nod comes in his second stint with the Los Angeles Kings after the Capitals dealt the netminder over the summer in a one-for-one deal for Pierre-Luc Dubois. Kuemper finished the season with a 31-11-7 record along with a 2.02 goals-against average, .922 save percentage, and 5 shutouts in front of a defensively-minded Kings team.
The Lightning’s Vasilevskiy (38-20-5) ranked second in the NHL with 38 wins and finished fourth in goals-against average (2.18) and save percentage (.921).
Thompson not being among the final three comes after splitting starts with Charlie Lindgren for most of the season, keeping his overall stats lower than the other finalists. Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy led the league with 63 games played while Kuemper (50) made seven more appearances than Thompson (43).
Here’s the full press release from the NHL:
Hellebuyck, Kuemper and Vasilevskiy Voted Vezina Trophy Finalists
NEW YORK (April 28, 2025) – Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the three finalists for the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy, awarded “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position,” the National Hockey League announced today.
NHL general managers submitted ballots for the Vezina Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists.
Following are the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, went 47-12-3 with a 2.00 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and eight shutouts in 63 appearances to propel the Jets (56-22-4, 116 points) to franchise records for wins and points in a season as well as their first Presidents’ Trophy. Hellebuyck, who earned his second straight William M. Jennings Trophy, paced the NHL with 47 victories – nine more than the closest competition and a number topped by just two goaltenders in League history: Martin Brodeur (48 in 2006-07 w/ NJD) and Braden Holtby (48 in 2015-16 w/ WSH). Hellebuyck additionally led the NHL (minimum: 25 GP) in goals-against average and shutouts, and ranked second – behind Anthony Stolarz (.926 in 34 GP w/ TOR) – in save percentage. Only one other netminder since 1991-92 has finished among the two in all four categories during a single season (with appropriate minimums): Carey Price in 2014-15 (w/ MTL; 1st in W, 1st in GAA, 1st in SV%, t-2nd in SO). The 31-year-old Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner (also 2019-20), is seeking to become the fourth goaltender to capture the award at least three times under its current format (since 1981-82), following Dominik Hasek (6x), Brodeur (4x) and Patrick Roy (3x). Hellebuyck also is looking to become the first repeat winner since Brodeur in 2006-07 and 2007-08 (w/ NJD).
Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings
Kuemper (31-11-7), in his second stint with the Kings, placed among the League leaders (minimum: 25 GP) in high-danger save percentage (1st; .863), goals-against average (2nd; 2.02), save percentage (3rd; .922), shutouts (t‑4th; 5) and wins (t-6th; 31) to help Los Angeles (48-25-9, 105 points) match franchise records for wins and points in a season. Kuemper yielded two or fewer goals in 34 of his 50 total appearances (68.0%), highlighted by a stretch of 15 consecutive starts from March 5 – April 10 (11-3-1, 1.20 GAA, .950 SV%, 3 SO). Only one other goaltender has posted a run of that length in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68): Miikka Kiprusoff in 2003-04 (16 GP w/ CGY). Kuemper – who was 34 years, 346 days on the final day of the regular season – is the fourth netminder since 1981-82 who has been voted as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the first time at age 34 or older. The others: Marc-Andre Fleury (36 years, 172 days in 2020-21 w/ VGK), Sean Burke (35 years, 75 days in 2001-02 w/ PHX) and Tim Thomas (34 years, 362 days in 2008-09 w/ BOS). Kuemper also is just the second Kings goaltender who has been selected as a finalist for the award under its current format and is vying to become the team’s first winner, after Jonathan Quick placed second in voting in 2011-12 and third in 2015-16.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Vasilevskiy (38-20-5) ranked second in the NHL with 38 wins, also finishing among the top five (minimum: 25 GP) in games played (t-1st; 63), saves (2nd; 1,581), high-danger save percentage (2nd; .853), shutouts (t-2nd; 6), goals-against average (4th; 2.18) and save percentage (4th; .921) to guide the Lightning (47-27-8, 102 points) to their eighth straight playoff berth. He became the fastest goaltender in League history to reach the 300-win milestone, doing so in his 490th career contest (Nov. 14 vs. WPG). Vasilevskiy later became the third netminder in NHL history to record eight consecutive 30-win seasons (hitting the mark March 6 vs. BUF), joining Martin Brodeur (12 from 1995-96 – 2007-08) and Patrick Roy (8 from 1995-96 – 2002-03). The 30-year-old Vasilevskiy is a Vezina Trophy finalist for the fifth time, after winning the award in 2018-19, finishing as a runner-up in 2020-21, and placing third in voting in both 2017-18 and 2019-20. He and Hellebuyck follow Brodeur (9x), Roy (7x), Dominik Hasek (6x), Tom Barrasso (5x) and Henrik Lundqvist (5x) as the only goaltenders who have been selected as Vezina Trophy finalists at least five times under the award’s current format (since 1981-82).
History
Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich, former owners of the Montreal Canadiens, presented the trophy to the NHL in 1926-27 in memory of Georges Vezina, the outstanding Canadiens goaltender who collapsed during an NHL game on Nov. 28, 1925, and died of tuberculosis a few months later. Before the 1981-82 season, the goaltender(s) of the team allowing the fewest number of goals during the regular season was awarded the Vezina Trophy.
Announcement Schedule
The series of NHL Trophy finalist announcements continues Tuesday, April 29, when the three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy will be unveiled.
