Photo by Scott Stroh [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b6bc2fe5-1579-48c1-9663-c01d7caba6ba.jpeg] Photo by Scott Stroh The 82-game 2024-25 NHL regular season has come to a close for the Winnipeg Jets. And believe it or not, the fourth-place team from 2023-24 somehow managed to finish better than its 52-24-6 record from the year prior. Putting up 110 points at the conclusion of last season, this year's Jets picked up four more wins and two fewer overtime losses than that team, going 56-22-4 on the season for a whopping 116 points - good for first place in the Central Division, Western Conference and entire league. The team scored 16 more goals this year than last and gave up eight fewer. Having the record for fewest goals against last year, Winnipeg secured its second-straight William Jennings Trophy on Thursday night. Much like that of last season, the trophy was given to a sole recipient, Connor Hellebuyck, for his work between the pipes. Due to regulations surrounding the number of games played as a requirement to have one's name listed on the trophy, neither Laurent Brossoit (last season) or Eric Comrie (this season) had the honour of seeing their nameplates fastened to the award. Only two other teams have ever repeated as the Jennings Trophy winners (Montreal for three years in the late-1980s, and New Jersey from 1996-98) and their goalies on record were Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur - pretty decent company. However, Brodeur and Roy each had backups who played at least 25 games, meaning the awards were shared each season. In Hellebuyck's case, he was the sole recipient, marking the first time in history that the same goaltender took home the award in back-to-back seasons. He is also coming off his second Vezina Trophy win, to which most assume he will be awarded the Vezina once again this spring. Another matter of importance would be his play in goal and play throughout the league in terms of the most valuable player award, the Hart Trophy. Hellebuyck's total number of wins (47) and shutouts (8) are tops in the league by a large margin, while his goals against average (2.00) also is above the next best backstop. However, Toronto's Anthony Stolarz occupies the top save percentage number (by one decimal place) over Hellebuyck, despite only playing 34 games this season. So, the clean sheet is no longer and option, unless Joseph Woll is pulled on Thursday and Stolarz enters the game and gives up a goal. Hellebuyck has been that good - or that great - all season long. It isn't close. He's Winnipeg's MVP, he's the Central Division's MVP. It could be argued that Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl would be a more important player for his team - which also happens to have Connor McDavid (and other first overall picks) on its roster - but that narrative should go down the drain when assessing numbers against the spread. Draisaitl's goal tally is head and shoulders above the pack, but his points and other statistical metrics are well within the remaining group. It is only the goaltending category to which one individual stands out - oh, and his team stands out as well. Don't forget that.
