The 'Vezina Trophy' is awarded annually to the
National Hockey League's
goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position".
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.
History
The Vezina Trophy was named in honour of
Georges Vézina, an exceptional goaltender with the
Montreal Canadiens, who collapsed during a game in
1925 and was diagnosed as having
tuberculosis. Upon Vezina's death, the trophy was donated to the League by the Canadiens former owners,
Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinichthe. It was first awarded at the end of the
1926-27 NHL season.
[1]
Until the
1980-81 season, the trophy was awarded to the goaltender(s) of the team allowing the fewest number of goals during the
regular season.
However, it was recognized that this system often meant the trophy went to the goaltender of the better team rather than the individual. and hence the 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.
[2]
Jacques Plante holds the record for winning the most Vezinas with seven, trailed by
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.
[3]
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 the Hart Memorial Trophy, but never the Vezina.
[4]
The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by the 30
general managers of the teams in the
National Hockey League, and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 5-3-1 points system.
[5] Three finalists are named and 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 surrendered the fewest goals in regular season play.
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.
Notes
During the
1973-74 season, there was a tie between
Tony Esposito of the
Chicago Black Hawks and
Bernie Parent of the
Philadelphia Flyers, the only time that there has been a tie between two players from different teams.
References
;General
★
Vezina Trophy history at NHL.com
★
Vezina Trophy history at Legends of Hockey.net
;Specific
1. Vezina Trophy history
2. Vezina Trophy history
3. Vezina Trophy history
4. Hart Memorial Trophy history
5. Foppa shows the most Hart Jon Dolezar
See also
★
List of NHL players
★
List of NHL statistical leaders
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