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Sorokin, Swayman, Vasilevskiy Named 2026 Vezina Finalists

4/30/2026

48 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

NHL Announces Vezina

The NHL announced Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy as the 2026 Vezina finalists.
Sorokin posted a 29-24-2 record, .906 save percentage, 2.68 GAA, seven shutouts and 452 saves, becoming the first Islanders goalie with multiple Vezina nominations.
Vasilevskiy posted a 39-15-4 line, .912 save percentage, 2.31 GAA and led the league with 39 wins.
Swayman logged a 31-18-4 record, .908 save percentage, 2.71 GAA and earned 31 wins.

Summary

Swayman Finalist

Jeremy Swayman became only the second University of Maine goalie named a Vezina finalist, after Ben Bishop.
He is the first Bruins goaltender finalist since Linus Ullmark’s 2022-23 season.
Ilya Sorokin led the league with seven shutouts and 452 high-danger saves.
Logan Thompson posted the highest goals-saved-above-expected (29.3) yet was omitted from the finalist trio.
Andrei Vasilevskiy entered the race with a league-leading 39 wins and a 2.31 GAA.

History

Historical Context

Since the Vezina Trophy was created in 1926 to honor Georges Vézina, elite goaltending has shaped the NHL. Patrick Roy, a three-time Vezina winner (1989, 1990, 1992), exemplified that trend; in 1994, 31 net-minders posted save percentages above .905. The 2026 race echoes this legacy, with Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy posting .906-.912 marks.

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NHL Announces Vezina

The NHL announced Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy as the 2026 Vezina finalists.
Sorokin posted a 29-24-2 record, .906 save percentage, 2.68 GAA, seven shutouts and 452 saves, becoming the first Islanders goalie with multiple Vezina nominations.
Vasilevskiy posted a 39-15-4 line, .912 save percentage, 2.31 GAA and led the league with 39 wins.
Swayman logged a 31-18-4 record, .908 save percentage, 2.71 GAA and earned 31 wins.

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