Winnipeg Jets fans have already been chanting it for several games whenever his name is announced, and now it’s official — Connor Hellebuyck is a finalist for the NHL’s most valuable player.
The thunderous chants boom throughout Canada Life Centre at every game when Hellebuyck is announced as the starting goaltender and he’s shown on the big screen: “MVP! MVP! MVP!”
On Thursday, the day after the 31-year-old goaltender helped his team take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the St. Louis Blues, the Jets and the NHL announced that he is one of three finalists for the 2024-25 Hart Memorial Trophy.
Hellebuyck is first player in franchise history (including as the Atlanta Thrashers) to be voted as a Hart finalist and just the third goalie to be a Hart finalist in the past 10 seasons.
If he wins, he will be only the fourth goalie in the NHL expansion era (since 1967-68) to win the award, following Dominik Hasek (1996-97 and 1997-98), Jose Theodore (2001-02) and Carey Price (2014-15).
The Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov are the other two finalists.
Draisaitl, 29, led the NHL in goals (52), tied for third in points (106) and was a career-best plus-32 in 71 games. He won the Hart in 2019-20 and is a two-time finalist.
Kucherov, 31, led the NHL for the second consecutive season with 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists). He won the Hart Trophy in 2018-19 and is a three-time finalist.
Hellebuyck has had some struggles in the post-season, allowing 15 goals in his past three games. That 5.00 goals against average is a considerable swing from the regular season, when he led the entire league with a 2.00 GAA.
But his dominance during the 82-game regular season can’t be denied.
He was first in the NHL in wins (47) and shutouts (eight) and was tied in total games played (63).
Only two goaltenders in NHL history have recorded more wins in a single campaign: Martin Brodeur (48 in 2006-07) and Braden Holtby (48 in 2015-16).
He was second overall in save percentage (.925) and minutes played (3,741), and fourth in saves (1,539). Hellebuyck yielded two or fewer goals in 40 of his 63 appearances and had an eight-game winning streak from Jan. 22 until Feb. 26 and an 11-game point streak (9-0-2) from Dec. 5 until Jan. 2.
His play lifted the Jets to franchise records for wins (56) and points (116) in a season, as well as their first Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top team.
Hellebuyck also won his second consecutive Williams Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest regular-season goals.
The 2020 and 2024 Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top ‘tender is also a finalist for the award again this season, the fifth time in the past eight seasons that he has been a finalist for that award.
