Ullmark, Sorokin, Hellebuyck voted Vezina Trophy finalists
Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders, and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets are Vezina Trophy finalists, the NHL announced Thursday.
The Vezina Trophy is voted on by the general managers of all 32 NHL teams and is awarded annually "to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position."
Both Ullmark and Sorokin are first-time finalists for the honor.
Ullmark, 29, was the backbone of the Bruins' Presidents' Trophy-winning campaign, which saw them set new records for most wins (65) and points (135). He led the league in save percentage (.938), goals against average (1.89), and goals saved against average (46.69) while ranking third in goals saved above expected (38.21) at all strengths, per Evolving Hockey.
Widely considered to be the front-runner for the hardware, Ullmark posted a sparkling 40-6-1 record across 49 appearances. He even added a goalie goal to his resume, becoming the first netminder to find the back of the net since Pekka Rinne in 2020.
Sorokin, 27, led all goaltenders with six shutouts this season and boasted a 31-22-7 record. He registered a .924 save percentage - the third-best clip of all goalies with at least 20 starts this season - and 2.34 goals against average in 62 showings, allowing one goal or fewer in 23 of those outings.
The Russian trailed only Ullmark in goals saved above average (36.23) and paced the entire field in goals saved above expected (51.36).
Once again one of the NHL's busiest goaltenders, Hellebuyck started a league-leading 64 contests and faced the third-most shots (1,964) in 2022-23. The veteran handled his heavy workload with ease, posting a .920 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average to go along with a 37-25-2 record.
Hellebuyck finished fourth in both goals saved above average (30.11) and goals saved above expected (33.62) en route to earning his third Vezina Trophy nomination. The 29-year-old won the coveted honor in 2020.
New York Rangers stud Igor Shesterkin took home the hardware last season.