William M. Jennings Trophy

Template:Short description Template:Infobox sports award The William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League (NHL) award given to "the goaltender(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it ... based on regular-season play."<ref name="Jennings history"/> Despite the flawed wording from the NHL definition, it means the goaltender with the lowest goals against average (per game), not the goaltender with the true lowest number of goals scored against them. From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded under that definition, but it was later changed and replaced by the Jennings Trophy. It is named in honor of William M. Jennings, the longtime governor and president of the New York Rangers. Since its beginnings in 1982, it has been awarded at the end of 40 seasons to 44 different players; mostly in tandems of two goaltenders.

The most recent winner is Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets had a league-low 191 team goals-against in the 2024–25 season.

History

From 1946 until the 1980–81 season, the Vezina Trophy was awarded to the goaltender(s) of the NHL team allowing the fewest goals during the regular season.<ref name="Vezina history">Template:Cite web</ref> However, it was recognized that this system often meant the trophy went to the goaltender of the better team rather than the individual and was changed to offer the trophy to the most outstanding goaltender, as voted by the NHL general managers. The William M. Jennings Trophy was created as a replacement and is awarded to the starting goaltender(s) playing for the team with the fewest goals against.<ref name="Vezina history3">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Jennings Trophy was donated by the NHL's board of governors and first presented at the conclusion of the 1981–82 season. It is named in honor of the late William M. Jennings, who was a longtime governor and president of the New York Rangers and a builder of ice hockey in the United States.<ref name="Jennings history">Template:Cite web</ref> Normally the minimum number of games a goaltender must play to be eligible for the trophy is 25, but for the lockout shortened 1994–95 season, the required minimum was fourteen games.<ref name="espn">Template:Cite web</ref>

Ten players have won both the Jennings and Vezina Trophy for the same season: Patrick Roy (Template:NHL Year and Template:NHL Year), Ed Belfour (Template:NHL Year and Template:NHL Year), Dominik Hasek (Template:NHL Year and Template:NHL Year), Martin Brodeur (Template:NHL Year, Template:NHL Year), Miikka Kiprusoff (Template:NHL Year), Tim Thomas (Template:NHL Year), Carey Price (Template:NHL Year), Marc-Andre Fleury (Template:NHL Year), Linus Ullmark (Template:NHL Year), and Connor Hellebuyck (Template:NHL Year and Template:NHL Year).<ref name="Vezina history"/> Roy and Brodeur have won the trophy five times each, the most of any goaltenders. Belfour is third, having won four times. The Montreal Canadiens have the most wins, with six, followed by the New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks with five each, the Boston Bruins with four, and the Buffalo Sabres and with three.

Winners

Patrick Roy, five-time winner

Dominik Hasek, three-time winner

Martin Brodeur, five-time winner

Chris Osgood, two-time winner

Corey Crawford, two-time winner

Robin Lehner, two-time winner

Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Bold Player with the fewest goals ever scored against in a Jennings' winning season.Template:Efn

William M. Jennings Trophy winners

Season	Winner	Team	Template:Small	Win #	Team Win #
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Montreal Canadiens	223	1	1
	Denis Herron			1
Template:NHL Year	Billy Smith	New York Islanders	226	1	1
	Roland Melanson			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Washington Capitals	226	1	1
	Pat Riggin			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Buffalo Sabres	237	1	1
	Bob Sauve			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Philadelphia Flyers	241	1	1
	Darren Jensen			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Montreal Canadiens	241	1	2
	Brian Hayward			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Montreal Canadiens	238	2	3
	Brian Hayward			2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Montreal Canadiens	218	3	4
	Brian Hayward			3
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Boston Bruins	232	1	1
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Chicago Blackhawks	211	1	1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Montreal Canadiens	207	4	5
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Chicago Blackhawks	239	2	2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Buffalo Sabres	218	1	2
	Grant Fuhr			1
Template:NHL YearTemplate:Efn	Template:Sort name	Chicago Blackhawks	115	3	3
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Detroit Red Wings	181	1	1
	Mike Vernon			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	New Jersey Devils	182	1	1
	Mike Dunham			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	New Jersey Devils	166	2	2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Dallas Stars	168	4	1
	Roman Turek			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	St. Louis Blues	165	2	1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Buffalo Sabres	184	2	3
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Colorado Avalanche	169	5	1
Template:NHL YearTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname	New Jersey Devils	166	3	3
	Template:Sortname	Philadelphia Flyers	166	1	2
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	New Jersey Devils	164	4	4
Template:NHL YearTemplate:Efn	Template:Sort dash	Template:Sort dash	Template:Sort dash	Template:Sort dash	Template:Sort dash
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Calgary Flames	200	1	1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Minnesota Wild	191	1	1
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Detroit Red Wings	184	3	2
	Chris Osgood			2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Boston Bruins	196	1	2
	Template:Sortname			2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	New Jersey Devils	191	5	5
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Vancouver Canucks	185	1	1
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	St. Louis Blues	165	1	2
	Jaroslav Halak			1
Template:NHL YearTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname	Chicago Blackhawks	102	1	4
	Ray Emery			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Los Angeles Kings	174	1	1
Template:NHL YearTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname	Chicago Blackhawks	189	2	5
	Template:Sortname	Montreal Canadiens		1	6
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Anaheim Ducks	192	1	1
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Washington Capitals	182	1	2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Los Angeles Kings	203	2	2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	New York Islanders	191	1	2
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL YearTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname	Boston Bruins	174	1	3
	Template:Sortname			2
Template:NHL YearTemplate:Efn	Template:Sortname	Vegas Golden Knights	124	1	1
	Template:Sortname			2
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Carolina Hurricanes	202	2	1
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Boston Bruins	177	1	4
	Template:Sortname			1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Winnipeg Jets	199	1	1
Template:NHL Year	Template:Sortname	Winnipeg Jets	191	2	2

See also

• List of National Hockey League awards
• List of NHL statistical leaders

References

General

• Template:Cite web
• Template:Cite web
• Template:Cite web

Specific