HIGHLIGHTS

  • Connor Hellebuyck becomes first goalie since Carey Price in 2015 to win Hart Trophy
  • Jets netminder also claims third career Vezina Trophy, second consecutive
  • See video of Hellebuyck’s surprise celebration and historic achievement below

Connor Hellebuyck had a season for the ages, and now he’s got the hardware to prove it.

The Winnipeg Jets goaltender captured both the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie on Thursday. He’s the first netminder to claim the Hart since Carey Price did it in 2015.

And how did he find out? In the most casual way possible.

Hellebuyck was out fishing on a lake in Michigan when his family, friends, and agent gathered to surprise him when he came ashore. They revealed the Vezina first, then hit him with the Hart Trophy for good measure.

You can see the great moment unfold here:

“At first I saw someone in my yard,” Hellebuyck said. “I was kind of confused about that.”

The 32-year-old posted video game numbers this season. He went 47-12-3 with a league-leading 2.00 goals-against average and eight shutouts. His .925 save percentage ranked second among goalies with at least 25 games played.

Hellebuyck becomes just the eighth different goalie ever to win the MVP award. He’s also the fifth goalie to win both the Hart and Vezina in the same season, joining Price (2014-15), Jose Theodore (2001-02), Dominik Hasek (1996-97, 1997-98), and Jacques Plante (1961-62).

Jets backup Eric Comrie showed up during the surprise celebration to congratulate his teammate.

(Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

“It was one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen a goalie have in my life,” Comrie said.

The Jets rode Hellebuyck’s dominant play to their first Presidents’ Trophy, finishing 56-22-4. He allowed two or fewer goals in 40 of his 63 starts and helped the team allow an NHL-low 191 goals during the regular season.

Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov were the other Hart finalists. The voting wasn’t close. Hellebuyck received 81 first-place votes to Draisaitl’s 53.

For the Vezina, Hellebuyck beat out Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Los Angeles’ Darcy Kuemper. It’s his third Vezina Trophy after winning in 2019-20 and 2023-24.

“Looking back, I’ll probably picture this day as one of the greatest of my career,” Hellebuyck said.

The only knock on Hellebuyck? His playoff struggles continue. He got benched three times in the first round this spring, though he bounced back in the second round.

Still, you can’t argue with the regular-season performance. There isn’t a position more valuable than goalie, and nobody did more to lift their team than Hellebuyck did for the Jets.

Not bad for a day that started with fishing.