Who is the Vezina Trophy named after? Exploring the history behind the first trophy named after an NHL player

The Vezina Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards in the National Hockey League (NHL), given annually to the best goaltender in the league. It is named after Georges Vezina, who was an exceptional goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens from 1910 to 1925.

Vezina collapsed during a game in 1925 and was diagnosed with tuberculosis, which unfortunately took his life in 1926. In honor of Vezina's contributions to the Canadiens and to hockey, the trophy was donated to the NHL by the Canadiens' then-owners Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich.

The award was first presented at the end of the 1926-27 NHL season to George Hainsworth, who had come to Montreal to replace Vezina.

Initially, the criteria for winning the Vezina Trophy was reported to be the goaltender in the NHL with the best goals against average (GAA) or the most valuable goaltender in the league.

However, reports later clarified that the trophy was based on the lowest GAA. From the 1946-47 to 1981-82 seasons, the trophy was awarded to the goaltender(s) of the team allowing the fewest goals during the regular season, but now the William M. Jennings Trophy is awarded for this. The 32 NHL general managers vote to determine the winner of the trophy each year.

The Vezina Trophy is one of the three major personal awards given out by the NHL, along with the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The hockey media closely follows the "Trophy race," with contenders often separated by only a few goals.

The most recent winner of the Trophy was Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, who was awarded the trophy for his outstanding performance during the 2021-22 NHL season.

Exploring more on Vezina Trophy and the way of voting

The Montreal Canadiens have had 29 Vezina Trophy winners, the most by any team. Previously, when the criteria for winning was based on the fewest goals allowed during the regular season, there were instances where multiple players from the same team would win the award.

In 1973-74, Tony Esposito of the Chicago Blackhawks and Bernie Parent of the Philadelphia Flyers won the Vezina Trophy when their respective teams tied for the fewest goals against. This is the only known tie between players from different teams.

Voting for the award is done by the 32 NHL general managers at the end of the regular season, with each voter ranking their top three choices using a 5-3-1 points system. The top three finalists are then named, and the trophy is presented at the NHL Awards ceremony following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.