To mark the beginning of the 2025-26 regular season, NHL.com is running its first installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the top goalie in the NHL as selected NHL general managers.
Connor Hellebuyck has a chance to do something that's happened once in 44 seasons.
The Winnipeg Jets goalie, who won the Vezina Trophy voted as the best at his position in the NHL the past two seasons, is the favorite to win it again this season, according to NHL.com. Hellebuyck received seven first-place votes and 61 voting points from a 15-person panel.
Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning was second with 43 points (two first-place votes), followed by Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars with 42 (two), Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers with 25 (three) and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers with 16 (one).
Dominik Hasek (1997-99) is the only other goalie to win the Vezina three straight seasons since NHL general managers began voting on the award in 1981-82.
Hellebuyck certainly has the talent and pedigree to match Hasek. Last season he won 47 games, tied with Hockey Hall of Famers Bernie Parent (1973-74) and Roberto Luongo (2006-07) for the third-best single-season total in NHL history. His eight shutouts led the NHL, as did his 2.00 goals-against average (minimum 25 games). He was second with a .925 save percentage, just behind Anthony Stolarz of the Toronto Maple Leafs (.926), who played 34 games compared to Hellebuyck's 63.
Hellebuyck also had a .935 even-strength save percentage that ranked second (Stolarz, .936) while facing 1,403 even-strength shots, fourth most in the NHL. He had a .900 or better save percentage in a League-best 71.0 percent of his starts (44 of 62). He became the fourth goalie in the NHL Expansion Era (since 1967-68) to win the Vezina and the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player in the same season, joining Carey Price (2015), Jose Theodore (2002) and Hasek (1997, 1998).
Hellebuyck, though, doesn't believe any of that carries into this season.
"For me I'm kind of going into it as just another season," he said. "We're continuing to build, but I don't want to bring expectations into it. I think expectations kill. I've seen it enough. We're a good team but sometimes you don't win when you expect to win, and you win when you don't expect to win. Really just trying to keep all expectations off the table and go in with a fresh slate. We're going to build our game the way we ended last year, put our best foot forward and let everything fall into place."
At 32 years old, Hellebuyck still is in the prime of his career. He has a team in front of him that should be a Stanley Cup contender, and there's also the extra motivation that comes from having a chance to play for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
For now, Hellebuyck isn't concerned with what could happen or might happen down the road.
"I was thinking, 'How can we take that to another level? How can we continue to build?'" he said. "Just because you had success doesn't mean you're going to have success every single day, so how can we continue to build that? That's what I love about the game and playing the game, is there's always more to learn. There's always adapting with the game and how the game is changing. So, for me, it was what's the next step."
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis):
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, 61 points (7 first-place votes); Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, 43 (2); Jake Oettinger, Stars, 42 (2); Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, 25 (3); Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers, 16 (1); Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils, 15; Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames, 5; Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado Avalanche, 5; Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens, 3; Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders, 2; Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings, 2; Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights, 1; Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues, 1
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report
