The New York Rangers have had six goalies from five seasons win the Vezina Trophy in their 95-year history.
Dave Kerr was the first to win the award in 1939-40, followed by Ed Giacomin and Gilles Villemure, who shared it after the 1970-71 season.
Prior to 1981-82, the Vezina Trophy was given to the goalie(s) of the team that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL. Now that award is the William M. Jennings Trophy.
Since 1981 the Vezina has been awarded to the goalie voted best at his position.
John Vanbiesbrouck
(1985-86),
Henrik Lundqvist
(2011-12) and Igor Shesterkin (2021-22) have each won that iteration of the Vezina Trophy with the Rangers.
Of the previous five winners, the one who reminds me most of Shesterkin is Giacomin, even though he's compared most often to his predecessor, Lundqvist.
"Igor is the successor to Henrik Lundqvist as the new King of New York," veteran Associated Press and New York Times hockey writer Alan Kreda said.
The Rangers iconic Stanley Cup-winning goalie
Mike Richter
loops Igor and Henrik together, as well.
"Shesterkin wants that mantle of being the best, just the way it was with Lundqvist," he said.
As for Lundqvist, who had his No. 30 retired by the Rangers earlier this year, color him impressed with Shesterkin.
"Igor works hard at his craft," Lundqvist said. "He has a great attitude and his skill level is right up there."
Rangers fans have seconded that motion with thunderous chants of "I-GOR, I-GOR," not unlike the roars of "ED-DIE, ED-DIE" for Giacomin a half-century ago.
Although Giacomin never played for a Stanley Cup-winner -- he helped the Rangers reach the 1972 Final against the Boston Bruins -- he nevertheless was one of the most popular players in franchise history. Aggressive in the crease, he was not averse to engaging in a goalie fight, which he once had with Bernie Parent of the Toronto Maple Leafs. One of Giacomin's nicknames was "Goalie Au-Go-Go."
A two-time First Team All-Star and three-time Second Team All-Star, Giacomin was renowned for his stickhandling skills. Hall of Fame goalie Johnny Bower once said, "There haven't been many goalies who can move the puck out of his zone the way Eddie does."
The same can be said for Shesterkin. On Feb. 21 against the Ottawa Senators, Shesterkin detected an open net 180-feet away and took dead aim. His shot grazed the left post, inches away from being his first NHL goal. He also had three assists in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring and plays like a third defenseman in getting the puck up to the forwards and out of the Rangers zone.
Shesterkin had a brilliant season in 2021-22, leading the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. The 26-year-old became the third goalie in NHL history (minimum 50 appearances) to post a save percentage of .935 or higher in a single season.
He was the first goalie since Sergei Bobrovsky in 2016-17 with the Columbus Blue Jackets to lead the League in GAA and save percentage in his Vezina-winning season.
In addition to his impressive numbers, Shesterkin's acrobatics in the crease have made him a fan favorite, similar to the agile Giacomin. Back in the 1960s and '70s, Giacomin thrilled the Madison Square Garden crowd with his all-out style.
One of Giacomin's most memorable moments took place on the night of April 13, 1972 at the Montreal Forum. His save against Hall of Famer
Frank Mahovlich
enabled the Rangers to win the playoff game 3-2 against the Montreal Canadiens. Giacomin said that his feat excited him so much that he flung himself down on the ice on his back.
"I kicked my legs in the air," he remembered. "I was so happy that I had to do something to show how good I felt. I had to roll around kicking and yelling. It was my most memorable playoff game."
Shesterkin's on-ice celebrations are more muted, though it's not known how the Russia-born goalie would react if the Rangers win the Stanley Cup.
For now, he calmly and confidently is looking ahead to next season.
"Next year our Rangers are going to jump to another level," he said. "We're going to come back even stronger."
A Cup win would be the biggest difference between Shesterkin and Giacomin.
Time will tell if Shesterkin can reach that goal.
