The National Hockey League announced Wednesday that three goaltenders have been chosen as finalists for this year’s Vezina Trophy, the prestigious award given to the league’s outstanding netminder.
Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy earned his nomination alongside New York Islanders goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin and Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman. The annual honor, determined by votes from NHL general managers, recognizes excellence in goaltending during the regular season, with the winner to be revealed at a future date.
The 31-year-old Vasilevskiy topped all goalies this season with 39 victories while recording a 2.31 goals-against average that ranked second league-wide. This marks his second time as a Vezina finalist, having claimed the trophy in 2019 with a 39-10-4 record, 2.40 GAA, and .925 save percentage.
Sorokin, age 30, compiled a 29-24-2 record this season while leading the NHL with seven shutouts, alongside a 2.68 GAA and .906 save percentage. Should he win, Sorokin would become the first Islanders goalie to capture the award since Hall of Fame member Billy Smith achieved the honor in the 1981-82 campaign.
The 27-year-old Swayman, earning his first Vezina nomination, finished with a 31-18-4 record, 2.71 GAA, and .908 save percentage. His standout statistic was leading all NHL goalies with 38 games started while maintaining at least a .900 save percentage.
Last season’s Vezina Trophy recipient was Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck, who also captured the Hart Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player.
