‘Over and Over and Over Again’

Connor Hellebuyck was already 270 games into his NHL career by the end of 2020 but was still a bit starstruck when Grant Fuhr called to let know he’d won the Vezina trophy.

“It was just a phenomenal feeling and a great experience in how they did it,” Hellebuyck said on Episode 86 of the InGoal Radio Podcast. “It was awesome talking with Grant. It’s one of those moments that it’s just going to add another milestone and I’m going to cherish the memory.”

In the five and a half seasons since that call, the Winnipeg Jets star has put his name on the Vezina Trophy twice more, as well as onto a series of shorter and shorter lists.

Since the Vezina switched from a goals-against average award to “the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position” 43 years ago, only 28 individuals have claimed the award at least once. In 2024, Hellebuyck became one of only seven goalies to have won it more than once. In 2025, he joined a group of just four goalies to win the Vezina at least three times.

The rest of that list: Patrick Roy (3), Martin Brodeur (4) and Dominik Hasek(6!).

He joined another exclusive club in 2025, earning his first Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, an award that has only been won by goaltenders eight times in a hundred years. Hellebuyck is just the fourth goalie in the modern era and fifth overall to win a Hart and a Vezina in a single season, joining Hasek, Jose Theodore and Carey Price. Bonus points if you can name the fifth.

Now, in 2026, Hellebuyck is on another short list: American Olympic goaltenders.

It’s something he was thinking about even back in 2020.

“If I got that call, I’d be honored to wear the flag and represent the flag,” Hellebuyck, who made 17 saves for the United States in a 5-1 win over Latvia in his Olympic debut on Thursday, said at the time. “It’s hard to talk about an experience that I haven’t had yet. I’m definitely looking forward to hopefully getting a chance at that.”