Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck awarded Vezina Trophy

28/06/2024

The 2023-24 Vezina Trophy belongs to Connor Hellebuyck.

The Winnipeg Jets goaltender received the award at the NHL Awards ceremony on Thursday night.

Hellebuyck, 31, posted a 2.39 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and five shutouts in 60 games during the 2023-24 season.

He was also awarded the William M. Jennings Trophy this season, which is given to “the goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it.”

The Vezina is given “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position,” according to the NHL, and is voted on by the league’s GMs.

“This is a huge honour. I want to congratulate the other nominees, it’s an honour just to be in the same conversation as you guys (and) your elite status,” Hellebuyck said during his acceptance speech.

The Commerce, Mich. native went on to thank his family, his goalie coaches, the Jets organization and fans, his teammates and gave a special shoutout to his Dad.

“Growing up, my whole goal was to be the best in the world,” he said following the awards show. “This is a stepping stone for it, and that’s not something that’s just given or awarded. It’s earned every single day.

“So, for me, it feels like I’m doing something right.”

Hellebuyck has now won the Vezina twice in his nine NHL seasons, last winning the award during the 2019-20 campaign. He becomes the 23rd goalie to ever win multiple Vezinas and the second to do so since 1981.

The Jets finished second in the Central Division with 110 points, earning a trip to the post-season, where they were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in five games.

Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko and Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky were the other two finalists. Hellebuyck won the award by receiving 31 of 32 first-place votes, while Demko received 20 second-place and 10 third-place votes to finish as the runner-up.

Bobrovsky received the other first-place vote.

Hellebuyck was originally selected by Winnipeg in the fifth round of the 2012 draft and made his debut in 2015-16. Since then, he has played in 505 games and racked up 275 wins and 37 shutouts with a .917 save percentage and 2.63 goals-against average.

No goalie has played in more games, spent more time on the ice or made more saves since Hellebyck’s debut; only Andrei Vasilevskiy has more wins in that time, and only Marc-Andre Fleury can match his shutout total.

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