Vezina Trophy

The Vezina Trophy is awarded every year to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is chosen as the best goaltender. At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team during the regular season. Before 1981, it was awarded to the goaltender(s) of the team allowing the fewest goals during the regular season; now, the William M. Jennings Trophy is awarded under this previous definition.

History
The Vezina Trophy was named for Georges Vézina, a very good goaltender with the Montreal Canadiens. Vezina was ill with tuberculosis. He felt sick during a game in 1925. When Vezina died, the trophy was given to the League by the former owners of the Montreal Canadiens, Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich. It was first awarded at the end of the 1926-27 NHL season.

Until the 1980–81 season, the trophy was awarded to the goaltender(s) of the team that gave up the fewest goals during the regular season. However, this system often meant the trophy went to the goaltender of the better team rather than the individual. A change was made to offer the William M. Jennings Trophy to the goaltender(s) playing for the team with the fewest goals against. Since 1981, the Vezina Trophy has been awarded by the NHL General Managers to the most outstanding goaltender. Billy Smith of the New York Islanders was the first winner of the Vezina under the current system.

There have been numerous instances of players receiving the trophy many times in different years. Players have also tied for the trophy. Jacques Plante holds the record for winning the most Vezinas with seven. Bill Durnan and Dominik Hasek both of who have won six. Hasek has won the most under the current system of honouring the best individual goalie. Players for the Montreal Canadiens have won the Vezina 28 times. 

Under the original definition, there would often be multiple winners from the same team during one season. In the 1973-74 NHL season, Tony Esposito of the Chicago Black Hawks and Bernie Parent of the Philadelphia Flyers finished tied for the fewest goals against, the only time that there would be a tie between two players from different teams. 

There are only three players that have won both the Vezina and Hart Memorial Trophy for the same season: Jacques Plante, who won both trophies for the 1961–62 season; Dominik Hasek who won both for the 1996–97 and 1997–98 seasons; and Jose Theodore, who won the Vezina and Hart for the 2001-02 NHL season. Two other Vezina winning goaltenders have also won the Hart Memorial Trophy: Roy Worters and Al Rollins. Chuck Rayner was the only goaltender to win the Hart Memorial Trophy, but never the Vezina.

The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by the 30 general managers of the teams in the National Hockey League. Each individual voter ranks their top three candidates on a 5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named. The trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the playoffs.

Winners
1927–1981
When introduced, the Vezina Trophy was awarded to the goaltender, or goaltenders, of the team that gave up the fewest goals in regular season play.

SeasonWinnerTeamWin # 1926–27 George Hainsworth Montreal Canadiens 1 1927–28 George Hainsworth Montreal Canadiens 2 1928–29 George Hainsworth Montreal Canadiens 3 1929–30 Tiny Thompson Boston Bruins 1 1930–31 Roy Worters New York Americans 1 1931–32 Charlie Gardiner Chicago Black Hawks 1 1932–33 Tiny Thompson Boston Bruins 2 1933–34 Charlie Gardiner Chicago Black Hawks 2 1934–35 Lorne Chabot Chicago Black Hawks 1 1935–36 Tiny Thompson Boston Bruins 3 1936–37 Normie Smith Detroit Red Wings 1 1937–38 Tiny Thompson Boston Bruins 4 1938–39 Frank Brimsek Boston Bruins 1 1939–40 David Kerr New York Rangers 1 1940–41 Turk Broda Toronto Maple Leafs 1 1941–42 Frank Brimsek Boston Bruins 2 1942–43 Johnny Mowers Detroit Red Wings 1 1943–44 Bill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 1 1944–45 Bill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 2 1945–46 Bill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 3 1946–47 Bill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 4 1947–48 Turk Broda Toronto Maple Leafs 2 1948–49 Bill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 5 1949–50 Bill Durnan Montreal Canadiens 6 1950–51 Al Rollins Toronto Maple Leafs 1 1951–52 Terry Sawchuk Detroit Red Wings 1 1952–53 Terry Sawchuk Detroit Red Wings 2 1953–54 Harry Lumley Toronto Maple Leafs 1 1954–55 Terry Sawchuk Detroit Red Wings 3 1955–56 Jacques Plante Montreal Canadiens 1 1956–57 Jacques Plante Montreal Canadiens 2 1957–58 Jacques Plante Montreal Canadiens 3 1958–59 Jacques Plante Montreal Canadiens 4 1959–60 Jacques Plante Montreal Canadiens 5 1960–61 Johnny Bower Toronto Maple Leafs 1 1961–62 Jacques Plante Montreal Canadiens 6 1962–63 Glenn Hall Chicago Black Hawks 1 1963–64 Charlie Hodge Montreal Canadiens 1 1964–65 Johnny BowerTerry Sawchuk Toronto Maple Leafs 24 1965–66 Gump WorsleyCharlie Hodge Montreal Canadiens 12 1966–67 Glenn HallDenis DeJordy Chicago Black Hawks 21 1967–68 Gump WorsleyRogatien Vachon Montreal Canadiens 21 1968–69 Glenn HallJacques Plante St. Louis Blues 37 1969–70 Tony Esposito Chicago Black Hawks 1 1970–71 Eddie GiacominGilles Villemure New York Rangers 11 1971–72 Tony EspositoGary Smith Chicago Black Hawks 21 1972–73 Ken Dryden Montreal Canadiens 1 1973–74 Tony Esposito1 Chicago Black Hawks 3 1973–74 Bernie Parent1 Philadelphia Flyers 1 1974–75 Bernie Parent Philadelphia Flyers 2 1975–76 Ken Dryden Montreal Canadiens 2 1976–77 Ken DrydenMichel Larocque Montreal Canadiens 31 1977–78 Ken DrydenMichel Larocque Montreal Canadiens 42 1978–79 Ken DrydenMichel Larocque Montreal Canadiens 53 1979–80 Don EdwardsBob Sauve Buffalo Sabres 11 1980–81 Denis HerronMichel LarocqueRichard Sevigny Montreal Canadiens 141

1982–present
The NHL adopted the current criteria for the Vezina Trophy beginning in 1982. The William M. Jennings Trophy was created as a new award for the goaltender(s) of the team that surrenders the fewest goals in regular season play.

SeasonWinnerTeamWin #   New York Islanders 1   Boston Bruins 1   Buffalo Sabres 1   Philadelphia Flyers 1   New York Rangers 1   Philadelphia Flyers 1   Edmonton Oilers 1   Montreal Canadiens 1  2   Chicago Blackhawks 1   Montreal Canadiens 3   Chicago Blackhawks 2   Buffalo Sabres 1  2   Washington Capitals 1   Buffalo Sabres 3  4  5   Washington Capitals 1   Buffalo Sabres 6   Montreal Canadiens 1   New Jersey Devils 1  New Jersey Devils 2Season canceled due to lockout   Calgary Flames 1   New Jersey Devils 3  4   Boston Bruins 1   Buffalo Sabres 1   Boston Bruins 2   New York Rangers 1   Columbus Blue Jackets 1   Boston Bruins 1   Montreal Canadiens 1   Washington Capitals 1   Columbus Blue Jackets 2   Nashville Predators 1   Tampa Bay Lightning 1   Winnipeg Jets 1   Vegas Golden Knights 1   New York Rangers 1   Boston Bruins 1   Winnipeg Jets 2

Related pages
List of NHL players
List of NHL statistical leaders

References
General
Vezina Trophy history at NHL.com
Vezina Trophy history at Legends of Hockey.net
Specific

Category:National Hockey League trophies and awards