The NHL announced the three finalists for the 2026 Vezina Trophy on Wednesday.
Notably, the Washington Capitals’ number-one goaltender, Logan Thompson, did not crack the top three in the voting despite arguably being the league’s best statistical goaltender this season.
Sorokin, who led the league in shutouts (7), is a finalist for the second time in his career, finishing second in 2022-23 voting. Swayman is a first-time finalist who led the Bruins to the playoffs with a career high of 31 wins. Vasilevskiy is a six-time finalist and one-time winner of the trophy (2018-19), who led the NHL in wins with 39.
Sorokin, Swayman and Vasilevskiy Voted Vezina Trophy Finalists
NEW YORK (April 29, 2026) – Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders, Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the three finalists for the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy, awarded “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position,” the National Hockey League announced today.
NHL general managers submitted ballots for the Vezina Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists.
Following are the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Sorokin, who compiled a 29-24-2 record across 55 appearances (2.68 GAA, .906 SV%, 7 SO), led the NHL in shutouts (7), high-danger saves (452), high-danger shots against (523), high-danger save percentage (.864), road wins (18) and road shutouts (5). Sorokin’s seven total shutouts equaled a franchise record, previously achieved by him in 2021-22 as well as Semyon Varlamov in 2020-21 and Glenn “Chico” Resch in 1975-76. His 26th career shutout (all w/ NYI) on Jan. 6 vs. NJD also lifted Sorokin ahead of Resch for the most such performances in Islanders history. A third-round pick (78th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, Sorokin additionally ranked among the 2025-26 League leaders in games allowing one or fewer goals (4th; 15), 30-save performances (6th; 16), saves (8th; 1,386), wins (t-9th; 29), minutes played (10th; 3,226:10), starts (t-10th; 54), save percentage (16th; .906) and goals-against average (18th; 2.68). The 30-year-old Sorokin, who finished second in voting in 2022-23, is a Vezina Trophy finalist for the second time. He is vying to become the second Islanders goaltender to win the award, after Billy Smith in 1981-82.
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
Swayman shared fourth place in the NHL with a career-high 31 wins in 54 contests (31-18-4, 2.71 GAA, .908 SV%, 2 SO) to propel the Bruins to their ninth playoff berth in the last 10 seasons. He became the 14th different goaltender in franchise history to record a 30-win season and the fifth to do so this century, following Linus Ullmark (2022-23), Tuukka Rask (5x, most recently 2017-18), Tim Thomas (4x, most recently 2011-12) and Byron Dafoe (2001-02). Swayman also finished among the top 10 in 2025-26 in 30-save performances (t-1st; 17), mid-range save percentage (2nd; .928), shootout save percentage (2nd; .893), high-danger saves (t-4th; 379), games allowing two or fewer goals (5th; 31), saves (5th; 1,426), minutes played (9th; 3,235:17) and starts (t-10th; 54). The 27-year-old Swayman, a fourth-round pick (111th overall) from the 2017 NHL Draft who is a first-time finalist, is seeking to become the seventh different Bruins goaltender to win the Vezina Trophy and the fifth to do so under the current format (since 1981-82), following Ullmark (2022-23), Rask (2013-14), Thomas (2010-11 and 2008-09) and Pete Peeters (1982-83).
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Vasilevskiy, aided by an 18-game point streak from Dec. 20 – Feb. 25 (17-0-1), topped the NHL with 39 victories in 58 starts (39-15-4, 2.31 GAA, .912 SV%, 2 SO) to guide the Lightning to their ninth consecutive postseason appearance – tied for the longest current run in the League. He became the sixth goaltender in NHL history to post at least nine 30-win seasons, with his active run of nine straight such campaigns the second-longest in League history behind only Martin Brodeur (12 from 1995-96 through 2007-08). Vasilevskiy, the 19th overall selection in the 2012 NHL Draft, additionally placed among the 2025-26 League leaders in games allowing two or fewer goals (t-1st; 35), goals-against average (2nd; 2.31), save percentage (3rd; .912), starts (t-3rd; 58), minutes played (4th; 3,430:45), high-danger save percentage (7th; .844), mid-range save percentage (7th; .912) and saves (10th; 1,353). The 31-year-old Vasilevskiy is a Vezina Trophy finalist for the sixth time, a total reached by just three other goaltenders under the current format (since 1981-82): Brodeur (9x), Patrick Roy (7x) and Dominik Hasek (6x). Vasilevskiy is looking for his second win, after topping voting in 2018-19, placing second in 2024-25 and 2020-21, and finishing third in 2019-20 and 2017-18.
History
Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich, former owners of the Montreal Canadiens, presented the trophy to the NHL in 1926-27 in memory of Georges Vezina, the outstanding Canadiens goaltender who collapsed during an NHL game on Nov. 28, 1925, and died of tuberculosis a few months later. Before the 1981-82 season, the goaltender(s) of the team allowing the fewest number of goals during the regular season was awarded the Vezina Trophy.
Announcement Schedule
The series of NHL Trophy finalist announcements continues Thursday, April 30, when the three finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy will be unveiled.
