Golden Knights Marc-Andre Fleury a first-time Vezina Trophy finalist at age 36
The Daily Goal Horn
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Goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury, Philipp Grubauer and Andrei Vasilevskiy were announced Tuesday as the three finalists for the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy.
Fleury, 36 and playing in his 17th NHL season, is a first-time finalist for the league’s top netminder award.
He was 26-10-0 with six shutouts, a .928 save percentage and a 1.98 goals-against average for the Vegas Golden Knights in the regular season.
Fleury partnered with Robin Lehner to capture the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders on the squad that allowed the fewest goals in 2020-21.
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Marc-Andre Fleury a first-time Vezina Trophy finalist
Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights: Fleury, who combined with Robin Lehner to capture the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders on the team that allowed the fewest goals during the regular season, ranked third in the NHL in wins (26), goals-against average (1.98), save percentage (.928) and shutouts (6) in 36 appearances. Fleury – who closed the season on a nine-game winning streak (April 11 – May 12: 1.43 GAA, .943 SV%, 2 SO) – climbed two spots into third place on the League’s all-time wins list (492), surpassing Ed Belfour (5th; 484) and Roberto Luongo (4th; 489). He also moved into a tie, with Roy Worters, for 14th place on the NHL’s all-time shutout list (67). The 36-year-old Sorel, Que., native – who yielded two or fewer goals in 25 of his 36 outings (69.4%) en route to posting the best goals-against average and save percentage of his 17-season NHL career – is a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time. He is seeking to become the first player in Golden Knights history to win the award, following the four individual trophies the team claimed during its inaugural season in 2017-18.
NHL Media
Grubauer, 29, is another first-time finalist after compiling a 30-9-1 record with a league-high seven shutouts, a .922 save percentage and a 1.95 GAA for the Colorado Avalanche.
Vasilevskiy, 26, was the Vezina winner in 2018-19 and is a finalist for the fourth straight year. He led the league in wins (31-10-1) and posted a .925 save percentage, 2.21 GAA and five shutouts for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The winners of the 2021 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Stanley Cup semifinals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates and times to be announced.
–Field Level Media