By Basil Stroh
NHL Public Relations
Winnipeg Goaltender Honored in Special Surprise Trophy Presentation
NEW YORK (June 12, 2025) – Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets is the 2024-25 recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy, presented “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Hellebuyck first learned he won the Vezina Trophy with friends and family at his home. Following that special moment, friend and teammate Eric Comrie appeared to surprise him with the Hart Trophy.
The first goaltender voted a Hart Trophy finalist since Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22 (3rd w/ NYR), Hellebuyck is the fourth netminder in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to win the award, following Dominik Hasek (1996-97 and 1997-98 w/ BUF), Jose Theodore (2001-02 w/ MTL) and Carey Price (2014-15 w/ MTL).
Hellebuyck was a top-five selection on 183 of 191 ballots and received 81 first-place votes in collecting 1,346 points to win a tight race with Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, who earned 53 first-place votes and 1,209 points. In a razor-thin margin separating third and fourth place, Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov edged Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, the 2023-24 Hart Trophy winner, 973-972.
Hellebuyck (47-12-3, 2.00 GAA, .925 SV%, 8 SO) led the NHL with 47 victories and captured the William M. Jennings Trophy to lift the Jets (56-22-4, 116 points) to franchise records for wins and points in a season as well as their first Presidents’ Trophy. Only two netminders in League history have recorded more wins in a single campaign: Martin Brodeur in 2006-07 (48 w/ NJD) and Braden Holtby in 2015-16 (48 w/ WSH). Hellebuyck’s nine-win edge over No. 2-ranked Andrei Vasilevskiy (38-20-5 w/ TBL) also represented the largest gap between the NHL’s top-two winningest goaltenders since 1990-91, when No. 1 Ed Belfour (43-19-7 w/ CHI) finished 12 ahead of No. 2 Mike Vernon (31-19-3 w/ CGY). Hellebuyck, who yielded two or fewer goals in 40 of his 63 total appearances (63.5%), additionally placed among the League leaders (minimum: 25 GP) in goals-against average (1st; 2.00), shutouts (1st; 8), save percentage (2nd; .925), games started (2nd; 62), saves (4th; 1,539) and high-danger save percentage (4th; .845).
2024-25 Hart Trophy Voting
|
|
|
Points |
(1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th) |
|
1. |
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG |
1,346 |
(81-45-30-22-5) |
|
2. |
Leon Draisaitl, EDM |
1,209 |
(53-58-38-25-8) |
|
3. |
Nikita Kucherov, TBL |
973 |
(25-40-51-59-11) |
|
4. |
Nathan MacKinnon, COL |
972 |
(27-33-62-50-11) |
|
5. |
Jack Eichel, VGK |
150 |
(2-3-6-10-49) |
|
6. |
Cale Makar, COL |
108 |
(0-7-2-10-19) |
|
7. |
Zach Werenski, CBJ |
45 |
(1-1-0-3-19) |
|
8. |
Alex Ovechkin, WSH |
38 |
(1-1-0-2-15) |
|
9. |
Nick Suzuki, MTL |
26 |
(1-1-0-0-9) |
|
10. |
Connor McDavid, EDM |
26 |
(0-1-0-4-7) |
|
11. |
David Pastrnak, BOS |
24 |
(0-1-0-2-11) |
|
12. |
Quinn Hughes, VAN |
16 |
(0-0-2-0-6) |
|
13. |
Mitch Marner, TOR |
12 |
(0-0-0-2-6) |
|
14. |
Nico Hischier, NJD |
4 |
(0-0-0-1-1) |
|
15. |
Dustin Wolf, CGY |
3 |
(0-0-0-1-0) |
|
16. |
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN |
3 |
(0-0-0-0-3) |
|
17. |
Kyle Connor, WPG |
2 |
(0-0-0-0-2) |
|
t-18. |
Jesper Bratt, NJD |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
Sidney Crosby, PIT |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
Filip Gustavsson, MIN |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
Jack Hughes, NJD |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
Darcy Kuemper, LAK |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
William Nylander, TOR |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
Robert Thomas, STL |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
Brady Tkachuk, OTT |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
|
|
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL |
1 |
(0-0-0-0-1) |
(10-7-5-3-1 points allocation)
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