Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023-24, helping lead the Jets to a playoff appearance. He was rewarded for his efforts as the league announced that he has won the Vezina Trophy, awarded “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position,” as selected by NHL general managers.
The 31-year-old also won the Jennings Trophy, going to the team that allowed the fewest regular-season goals. Technically, that one is a shared award but it carries a games-played requirement of 25 games, a threshold that backup Laurent Brossoit didn’t reach.
That’s because Hellebuyck has been one of the NHL’s workhorses between the pipes, playing in at least 60 games in each of the last three years. He posted a 2.39 GAA with a .921 SV% in 2023-24, his best numbers since the 2017-18 campaign, a year that saw him finish as the runner-up for the Vezina. Hellebuyck allowed three or fewer goals in 50 of his 60 total appearances, including a pair of 10-game streaks with two or fewer allowed, becoming the third goaltender in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to post multiple stretches like that in a single season.
As a result of his performance, Hellebuyck was a near-unanimous, selection, taking 31 of 32 first-place votes. Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky was the only other player to get a first-place vote although he finished third in voting points behind Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko, who was on all but two ballots. A total of nine netminders appeared on at least one GM’s ballot.
Hellebuyck was Winnipeg’s first-ever Vezina winner when he took home the prize in 2020. He joins Bobrovsky as the only active netminders with multiple wins under their belts.
Figured it would have been Bob.
Bobrovsky was absolutely robbed.
Good choice!