The Boston Bruins traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators on June 24, 2024. A year before this deal, Ullmark was awarded the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender, becoming only the sixth Bruins netminder to win the prestigious award. After this recent trade, Ullmark became the fifth goalie to win the prize and be dealt away.
Today, we will look at the Bruins’ history regarding Vezina Trophy winners and how only one goalie, Tuukka Rask, managed to escape the pitfalls of so many who came before and after him.
The Original Two
The Vezina Trophy was first awarded in 1926-27 to George Hainsworth of the Montreal Canadiens. Three seasons later, Tiny Thompson became Boston’s first winner in 1929-30. He would win the award three more times in 1933, 1936, and 1938, eventually surpassing Hainsworth for most victories (at the time) with his fourth win. However, after Thompson’s 1938 Vezina victory, the Bruins traded him to the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 28, 1938, for cash and Normie Smith, ending his run as the team’s top goalie for 11 seasons.
But, Boston had a superstar goalie waiting for his chance, Frank Brimsek, who kept the Vezina Trophy with the club with his first win in 1938-39. On top of winning the Calder Trophy that season, he would help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup. Three seasons later, Brimsek would capture his second Vezina Trophy in 1942, marking the last win before the Original Six era started. Despite nine seasons as the team’s top netminder and winning two Stanley Cup titles, the Bruins traded him on Sept. 8, 1949, to the Chicago Blackhawks for cash, thus becoming the second Vezina Trophy winner to be dealt away by the club.
Post-Expansion Era Winners
The NHL expanded from six teams to 12 in 1967. Since then, only four Boston netminders have won the Vezina Trophy, with Pete Peeters becoming the first in 1982-83. That season was Peeters’ first season with the Bruins, and despite coming within a game of tying an NHL record for the longest undefeated streak by a goalie that year, held by Boston icon Gerry Cheevers, the team would eventually trade him to the Washington Capitals on Nov. 14, 1985, for Pat Riggin.
Almost three decades later, Tim Thomas would break the Bruins’ lengthy drought without a Vezina Trophy, winning the award in 2008-09 and again in 2010-11. Not only would Thomas lead Boston to their first Stanley Cup title in 39 years in 2011, but he would also become the second player in team history, besides Bobby Orr, to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Unfortunately, that 2011 season was the peak of Thomas’ career as he skipped the annual White House visit in 2012, the Bruins lost in the first round, and he never dressed for the team again. Eventually, he was dealt to the New York Islanders on Feb. 7, 2013, for future considerations.
His partner at the time was Rask, who ascended to the starter’s role once Thomas was gone. Besides becoming the franchise’s win leader, he also won the Vezina Trophy in 2013-14 and the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2019-20. Unlike every other name on this list, Rask played his entire career with the Bruins, dressing in 543 games over 15 seasons.
Related: Bruins 2023-24 Player Grades: Linus Ullmark
Lastly, the most recent Bruins netminder to win the Vezina Trophy is Ullmark, who helped Boston secure the NHL record for wins (65) and points (135) in the regular season. Only one calendar year after winning the league’s top goalie award, the team traded him to the Senators for a first-round pick in 2024, along with Mark Kastelic and Joonas Korpisalo on June 24, 2024.
Historical Perspective
As mentioned, six Boston netminders have won the Vezina Trophy, and five were eventually traded after their wins. Only one goalie has managed to be named the league’s best goalie and survive being dealt away, and that is Rask, arguably the best goalie in franchise history.
Getting traded is a part of the game, and even Hall of Famers like Orr, Phil Esposito, and Ray Bourque didn’t finish their careers in black and gold. However, something stands out about the Vezina Trophy winners and Boston’s history of dealing them away within a short time frame of their last win. Even if Jeremy Swayman signs a lengthy extension this summer, based on team history, he may want to avoid the Vezina Trophy since it appears to be a bad omen to any Boston netminder who wins it.
