Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy wins second Vezina Trophy
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top netminder for the second time following a stellar 39-win season.
The 31-year-old secured 17 first-place votes from the league’s general managers to comfortably claim the prestigious positional award.
He appeared on 28 of a possible 32 ballots, finishing significantly ahead of finalists Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins stopper Jeremy Swayman.
Chasing historic goaltending milestones
The two-time Stanley Cup champion led the NHL with 39 victories across 58 starts during the regular campaign.
He is now just the sixth goaltender in league history to register nine separate 30-win seasons.
This active streak of nine consecutive 30-win campaigns places the Lightning star second only to Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, who achieved the feat 12 times.
Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson and Colorado Avalanche netminder Scott Wedgewood also received two first-place votes each to finish just outside the top three.
Guiding Tampa Bay to the postseason
The elite shot-stopper finished the year with a 39-15-4 record, posting a 2.31 goals-against average alongside a .912 save percentage.
His commanding performances, which included two shutouts, were instrumental in helping the Florida franchise secure their ninth successive playoff berth.
In a unique presentation orchestrated by the league, the veteran was surprised with the physical trophy by local police and a K-9 unit outside Benchmark International Arena.