Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy [https://www.nhl.com/lightning/player/andrei-vasilevskiy-8476883] has been named the winner of the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position. Vasilevskiy finished ahead of fellow finalists, Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin and Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman in voting conducted by NHL general managers following the regular season. The award marks the second Vezina Trophy of Vasilevskiy’s career, with his first coming after the 2018-19 season. The 31-year old has now been named a finalist six times, including last season when he was runner-up to Connor Hellebuyck. Vasilevskiy has long been the backbone of the Lightning’s success. This season, he led the NHL with 39 wins while posting a 39-15-4 record in 58 starts. Over the years, Vasilevskiy and coach Jon Cooper have carefully managed his workload, though the future Hall of Fame goaltender has never hidden his desire to play all 82 games. “He gave me the choice, but I’d rather him decide what I play and what I don’t,” Vasilevskiy said with a smile. “I’ve told him many times that I’ll play all 82." During the Lightning’s dominant 20-1-1 stretch from Dec. 20 through Feb. 25, Vasilevskiy recorded an 18-game point streak, going 17-0-1 over that span. His performance helped guide the Lightning to their ninth consecutive playoff appearance, tied for the longest active postseason streak in the league. Along the way, Vasilevskiy became just the sixth goaltender in NHL history to record at least nine 30-win seasons, trailing only Martin Brodeur, who posted 12 straight. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4c806434-97a5-4561-9724-ccd707904cf6.jpeg] IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect One of the season’s most memorable moments came during the Lightning’s first NHL Stadium Series game on Feb. 1. After a scrum broke out around the crease, Vasilevskiy skated to center ice and challenged Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who appeared to jab Brandon Hagel with his blocker several times. The rare goalie fight energized both the crowd and the Lightning bench, helping shift the momentum and spark a dramatic comeback. “It was one of the biggest moments for me personally, because I’ve never fought in the NHL,” Vasilevskiy said. “Big thanks to (Swayman) for that.” Statistically, Vasilevskiy was among the league’s best across the board. He finished first in wins, second in goals-against average and third in save percentage, helping lead Tampa Bay to a 106-point season and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division. The combination of consistency and durability ultimately earned him the second Vezina Trophy of his career. “The best goalie in the world, there’s not much more to it,” said Hagel. “People can say what they want about Vasy, but you know when he’s in the back of the net you have a chance to win every night. And I mean that in the playoffs, I mean that in the Stanley Cup Final, and I mean that in the regular season.”
