On Thursday evening, it was announced that the Jets' No. 1 backstop was nominated as a finalist for the annual award given “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position”
It may not have been the 44-win campaign of 2017-18 or the .922 save percentage of 2019-20, but the 29-year-old has found himself in the running for the third time in his six-year career.
Although likely going to Boston's Linus Ullmark, Hellebuyck is a repeat offender, having won the award back 2020, after finishing as a runner-up in 2018. His numbers will certainly be considered. Also a finalist is New York Islanders backstop Ilya Sorokin.
The Jets' 2012 fifth round pick finished the 2022-23 season top-five amongst all league goaltenders in wins (37), save percentage (.920) and shutouts (4). He played the second-most minutes (3,778) and faced the second-most shots (1,964), while stopping the second-most pucks (1,807).
The Michigan product led the league with 64 games started and an 80 percent start rate across the league. Hellebuyck faced 40+ shots 10 times last season, going a league-best 8-1-1 in those games. The only goaltender to win the Vezina Trophy twice in the past decade is Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky, who did so in 2013 and 2017.
Hellebuyck is the only Jets player to be nominated as a finalist for any of the league awards this year, despite defenceman Josh Morrissey's strong bid for the Norris Trophy. Both Hellebuyck and Morrissey were chosen by fans to represent the Central Division at the 2023 All-Star Weekend in South Florida.
The winner of the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy will be announced later in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.