A brand new NHL season is underway, and that means it’s time to start keeping tabs on our favorite goaltenders.
From Igor Shesterkin to Marc-Andre Fleury, we have seen some impressive performances from goalies in the past few years. Shesterkin took home the Vezina Trophy, the award given annually to the league’s best goalie, during the 2021-22 season with the New York Rangers and Fleury earned the accolade during the 2020-21 season with the Vegas Golden Knights.
And considering Fleury hit his 500-win milestone last season, there’s a high chance he will be one of the top contenders for the trophy.
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Let’s take a look at what the Vezina Trophy is and which players are most likely to be in the running this season:
What is the Vezina Trophy?
First presented in 1927, the Vezina Trophy is awarded to the “goalkeeper adjusted to be the best at the position.”
All 32 NHL general managers come together at the conclusion of the season to vote on who they believe should earn the title.
NHL
The trophy was created and first presented in 1927 in memory of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Georges Vezina, who collapsed during an NHL game on Nov. 28, 1925. Vezina died of tuberculosis a few months later.
How do you pronounce Vezina Trophy?
The phonetic spelling of Vezina is as follows: v-aa-z-ee-n-aa, Vez-ina or vez-i-na.
Who won the Vezina Trophy in 2022?
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin took home the prized accolade after his performance in the 2021-22 season.
At the time, the 26-year-old goaltender became the third in Rangers history to win the award, joining Henrik Lundqvist (2011-12) and John Vanbiesbrouck (1985-86).
Shesterkin won 36 of his 52 starts during that season, going 36-13-4 with six shutouts and a 2.07 goals against average. He had a .935 save percentage and led the NHL in strength save percentage at .934.
Who has won the most Vezina Trophies?
Jacques Plante has the most Vezina Trophies under his belt with seven. He won his first trophy in 1956 while on the Canadiens and won his last in 1969 while on the St. Louis Blues.
Next on the list are Dominik Hasek and Bill Durnan with six and Ken Dryden with five.
Martin Brodeur, who currently holds the most NHL goalie wins, Michel Larocque, Terry Sawchuk and Tiny Thompson follow with four wins each.
How many games do you need for Vezina?
From the 1980-81 season, the Vezina Trophy was awarded to goaltenders who played a minimum of 25 games for their team.
No winner of the accolade in the last 10 years has exceeded 69 games played.
Who are the most recent Vezina winners?
Here are the 10 most recent Vezina Trophy winners:
- 2021-22 season: Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
- 2020-21 season: Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
- 2019-20 season: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
- 2018-19 season: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2017-18 season: Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators
- 2016-17 season: Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
- 2015-16 season: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
- 2014-15 season: Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
- 2013-14 season: Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
- 2012-13 season: Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
For the full list, click here.
Who is most likely to take home the Vezina Trophy in 2023?
Defending Vezina champion Igor Shesterkin is currently the favorite, according to our partner, PointsBet, followed by Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Sorokin, Juuse Saros and Jacob Markstrom.
Here are the 10 most likely players to win this year’s Vezina Trophy:
- Igor Shesterkin +250
- Andrei Vasilevskiy +500
- Ilya Sorokin +800
- Juuse Saros +1000
- Jacob Markstrom +1200
- Thatcher Demko +1400
- Jake Oettinger +1800
- Frederik Anderson +2000
- Connor Hellebuyck +2200
- Darcy Kuemper +2500
For the full list, click here.
Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.