Canadiens goaltender Price wins Vezina Trophy

Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens has captured his first Vezina Trophy, awarded to the "goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at his position," as selected by NHL General Managers. Prior to 1981-82, the Vezina was awarded to the goaltender(s) whose team allowed the fewest goals during the regular season, the current criterion for the William Jennings Trophy.

Price was a near-unanimous selection, garnering 27 first-place votes from the 30 cast by NHL General Managers. His 144 voting points placed him ahead of Nashville's Pekka Rinne (60) and Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk (28).

Price led the NHL in wins (44), goals-against average (1.96) and save percentage (.933), becoming the first goaltender to pace the League in all three categories since Ed Belfour accomplished that feat with the Blackhawks in 1990-91. In doing so, the first-time Vezina finalist surpassed a 59-year-old franchise record for wins in one season. Jacques Plante set the former mark of 42 in 1955-56 and equaled the number in 1961-62, while Ken Dryden also reached the milestone in 1975-76. Price’s save percentage was the third-highest in a single season since the NHL began tracking the stat in 1976-77. He also tied for second in the NHL and set a career high with nine shutouts, the most by a Canadiens goaltender since 1976-77 (Dryden: 10).

2014-2015 Vezina Trophy Voting

Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd)

1. Carey Price, MTL 144 (27-3-0)

2. Pekka Rinne, NSH 60 (1-15-10)

3. Devan Dubnyk, MIN 28 (1-4-11)

4. Braden Holtby, WSH 26 (0-7-5)

5. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR 6 (1-0-1)

6. Corey Crawford, CHI 3 (0-1-0)

7. Andrew Hammond, OTT 1 (0-0-1)

Jonathan Quick, LAK 1 (0-0-1)

Cam Talbot, NYR 1 (0-0-1)