Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck awarded Vezina Trophy

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, in conjunction with the National Hockey League, announced that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is the 2019-20 recipient of the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position”. Hellebuyck is the first goaltender in Jets/Thrashers franchise history to capture the award after he finished as the runner-up in the 2017-18 season.

Hellebuyck, 27, backstopped the Jets to a place in the Western Conference Stanley Cup Qualifiers, leading all goaltenders in games (t-58), shots faced (1,796), saves (1,656), and shutouts (6) during the season. The Commerce, Michigan native ranked second overall in starts (56), wins (31), and minutes (3,268:33). Hellebuyck recorded 31 of the 37 Jets wins (83.8%), the second-highest percentage among goaltenders on the 24 teams that qualified for the NHL postseason.

Hellebuyck faced 37-or-more shots on 13 occasions and posted a 10-1-2 record, 2.08 goals-against average, and a .949 save percentage in those contests. That includes a career-high 51 saves in a 3-2 win at San Jose on Nov. 1/19 where he set the franchise record for saves in a period with 27 in the second frame.

Hellebuyck becomes the third player in franchise history to win one of the NHL’s individual awards. He joins Dany Heatley, who won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2001-02, and Ilya Kovalchuk, who won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2003-04. Several players also won individual NHL awards for the Winnipeg Jets 1.0: Dale Hawerchuk (1981-82) and Teemu Selanne (1992-93) won the Calder Memorial Trophy and Kris King (1995-96) won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. Two Jets 1.0 coaches also won the Jack Adams Award: Tom Watt (1981-82) and Bob Murdoch (1989-90).