The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, in conjunction with the National Hockey League, announced that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is the 2023-24 recipient of the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position”. This is Hellebuyck’s second career Vezina Trophy following his 2019-20 win and he has been a Vezina Trophy finalist on two other occasions (2017-18 and 2022-23).
Hellebuyck, 31, finished top-five among NHL goaltenders in wins (2nd: 37), shutouts (T-5th: 5), save percentage (2nd: .921), goals-against average (4th: 2.39), games played (3rd: 60), shots against (2nd: 1,798), saves (2nd: 1,656) and minutes (3rd: 3,567). The Commerce, Michigan native backstopped the Jets to second place in the Central Division and also won the Williams Jennings Trophy as the goaltender (min. 25 GP) on the team allowing the fewest regular season goals.
Hellebuyck, Winnipeg’s fifth-round pick (130th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, allowed three or fewer goals in 50 of his 60 total appearances, including a pair of 10-game streaks with two or fewer goals against. He became just the third goaltender in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to post multiple such stretches in a single season.