The Lightning goaltender ranked second in the NHL with 38 wins.
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.
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.
