Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a step closer to repeating as NHL goaltender of the year.
The league announced its three finalists for this season’s Vezina Trophy on Monday. Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the others.
Hellebuyck won his second career Vezina Trophy in 2024 and followed that up with an outstanding 2024-25 campaign.
He posted career bests in wins (47), shutouts (eight), goals-against average (2.00) and save percentage (.925) as Winnipeg finished the regular season with the league’s best record.
Despite the regular-season success, the announcement comes at a time when Hellebuyck is struggling with his form in the playoffs.
He has been pulled in Winnipeg’s last two games against St. Louis, surrendering 11 goals on 43 shots over that span, as the Blues have come back to tie their first-round best-of-seven series with the Presidents’ Trophy winners at 2-2.
Kuemper, in his second stint with the Kings, posted a 31-11-7 record, a 2.02 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and five shutouts as L.A. finished second in the Pacific Division.
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) guards his net during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
The Kings are tied 2-2 in their first-round series with the Oilers after losing two straight in Edmonton.
Vasilevskiy posted a 38-20-5 record with a 2.18 GAA, .921 save percentage and six shutouts as the Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division. He won the award in 2018-19 and is a finalist for the fifth time.
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a stick save on a shot by the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
The Lightning trailed the Florida Panthers 2-1 in their first-round series heading into Game 4 on Monday night in Sunrise.
