Georges Vezina: A Man, A Trophy, and A Forgotten Legacy

I’ve been a hockey fan since I was 13, so when I had the opportunity to see all of the NHL trophies on display, how could I possibly resist?

Unfortunately, I was pregnant and on bedrest at the time, so I called my doctor and told him to find me the safest way to see the trophies. “No” was not an option. 

I remember seeing all of the trophies in display cases and reading all of the names engraved on them. I even got to see the Stanley Cup, and had the opportunity to touch it, though I wouldn’t because I knew I was having a boy and I just wasn’t going risk the jinx at all.

My son is nearly six years old now, and he’s a hockey fan too. We read books like Hat Tricks Count and thanks to my dearest friend Dan, he’s got an awesome hockey autograph collection going. He doesn’t just have current players, but several Hall of Fame members. Thanks to the books and autographs, he’s learning about hockey in every era, and not just the most famous players either.

And so now, as sportswriters are trying to predict who will get what trophy, I’m thinking less about who gets the trophy and more about why we have the trophies in the first place.

The Vezina Trophy is awarded each season to the goalie “who is adjudged to be the best at this position.” Before 1981 it was awarded to the goalie with the fewest goals allowed. Now it’s voted on by all 30 General Managers and awarded to the goalie thought to be most valuable to his team.

It's named for Georges Vezina, who was the embodiment of hard work.

He left school in his hometown of Chicoutimi, Quebec at 15 in order to work in his father’s bakery. In 1916 he was accepted by Club de Hockey de Chicoutimi as a goalie, even though he’d never worn a pair of skates before.

Obviously that wasn’t a big problem for him since the next year he played—and won—an exhibition game against the Montreal Nationals of the Canadian Amateur Hockey League. 

As a result, he was recruited by the newly formed Montreal Canadiens to practice with them in the 1909-1910 season. In December of that year the team signed him for $800. (The average player salary was under $1000 at the time.)

His rookie year GAA was the lowest in the league, and although Vezina’s 3.49 GAA seems high today, it was actually one of the lowest in the league. The season before he died his GAA was only 1.81. Remember, hockey at the time was played according to rugby rules. This meant that unlike today, a goalie could not freeze the puck, fall on it, or catch it. He could only use his body and his stick to stop the puck and get it away from the net.

Vezina was so composed in net he became known as the “Chicoutimi Cucumber.” 

He led the Canadiens to their first two Stanley Cups, and was the first goalie in the NHL to record a shutout (Habs fans will be especially pleased to know that this occurred against the Leafs). He was also the first goalie to be credited with an assist.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Vezina was his stamina.

At a time when a team only had one goalie, he never missed a game between 1911 and 1925. He played 328 games and recorded 15 shutouts before collapsing during the home opener of the 1925-26 season.

The night of November 28, 1925, Vezina suited up and played, even though he had a fever of 105. He played the first period, left the ice bleeding from the mouth and collapsed in the locker room. He went out for the beginning of the second and collapsed again.

Vezina never played another game. He died on March 27, 1926 in Chicoutimi of advanced tuberculosis.

The next year the Canadiens’ three owners donated a trophy to the league in Vezina’s memory. 

Sometime soon, I hope the 30 GMs and all of the goalies remember what kind of dedication and true grit is represented by the name on the trophy.

I also hope that fans of the game will learn who Vezina was and honour the memory of a true hockey pioneer.