The Vezina Trophy (/vɛzənə/ VEH-zə-nə) is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position".

[4] When Hainsworth won his third Vezina at the end of the 1928–29 NHL season, the trophy was reported to be for the 'most outstanding' goaltender in the league.

[9] The hockey media closely follow a tight "Vezina Trophy race,"[10] such as in 1940–41, when Frank Brimsek, Turk Broda, and Johnny Mowers were separated by only three goals entering the final weekend of the season.

[10][11] In February 1946, the NHL stated that the trophy was to go to the team that allowed the fewest goals during the regular season.

The National Hockey League began allowing teammates to split the Vezina Trophy following the 1964–65 NHL season.

At the end of the season, Sawchuk publicly stated that he would refuse the trophy if Bower would not also have his name inscribed.

These often differed, such as in 1979–80 when Don Edwards and Bob Sauve shared the Vezina while Tony Esposito was named to the First Team.

During the 1973–74 NHL season, the Chicago Black Hawks and Philadelphia Flyers finished tied for the fewest goals against; therefore their respective goaltenders, Tony Esposito and Bernie Parent, were both awarded the trophy, the only time that it would be shared between two players from different teams.

The William M. Jennings Trophy, given to the goaltender(s) who play(s) a minimum of 25 games for the team that allows the fewest goals, serves the function of the old Vezina.

The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season by the 32 general managers of the teams in the National Hockey League, with all individual voters ranking their top three candidates on a 5–3–1 points system.

Jacques Plante holds the record for winning the most Vezinas with seven, followed by Bill Durnan and Dominik Hasek, who have won six each.

[1] Only four players have won both the Vezina and Hart Memorial Trophy for the same season: Jacques Plante for 1961–62; Dominik Hasek twice, for 1996–97 and 1997–98; Jose Theodore for 2001–02; and Carey Price for 2014–15.

The William M. Jennings Trophy was created as a new award for the goaltender(s) playing 25 or more games for the team allowing the fewest goals against.