Unlike the Vezina Trophy, The William M. Jennings Trophy is presented to “the goaltender(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it based on regular season play”. The emphasis is given to the team's defensive success and the trophy could be shared among goaltenders who met the criteria. However, the Vezina Trophy is presented to a goaltender who is judged to be the best at his position during the regular season. Interestingly, the William M. Jennings Trophy is awarded by determining specific statistical criteria rather than a vote. The Trophy is presented annually during the NHL awards ceremony.
William M. Jennings Trophy History
The William Jennings Trophy was introduced by the NHL in the 1981-1982 season and is named after William M. Jennings, the longtime governor and president of the New York Rangers.
Before the William M. Jennings Trophy, the Vezina Trophy was presented to the goaltenders of the team allowing the fewest goals in the regular season. However, this approach favored the goaltenders of better teams which led to the introduction of the William M. Jennings Trophy. The Vezina Trophy was modified to recognize the most outstanding goaltender voted by the NHL general managers.
William M. Jennings Trophy Winners List-
Introduced in 1981-1982, the trophy has been awarded at the end of 40 seasons to 44 different players; mostly in tandems of two players. Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy jointly hold the record of winning the most William M. Jennings trophies at 5 each.
The first two goaltenders to receive this award were Rick Wamsley and Denis Herron of the Montreal Canadiens and the most recent winners of the William M. Jennings Trophy were Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins (2022-23 season).
A list of all William M. Jennings Trophy Award winners is presented below:
| Season | Winner | Team |
| 1981–82 | Rick WamsleyDenis Herron | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1982–83 | Roland MelansonBilly Smith | New York Islanders |
| 1983–84 | Al JensenPat Riggin | Washington Capitals |
| 1984–85 | Tom BarrassoBob Sauve | Buffalo Sabres |
| 1985–86 | Bob FroeseDarren Jensen | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1986–87 | Patrick RoyBrian Hayward | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1987–88 | Patrick RoyBrian Hayward | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1988–89 | Patrick RoyBrian Hayward | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1989–90 | Andy MoogRejean Lemelin | Boston Bruins |
| 1990–91 | Ed Belfour | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 1991–92 | Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens |
| 1992–93 | Ed Belfour | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 1993–94 | Dominik HasekGrant Fuhr | Buffalo Sabres |
| 1994–95 | Ed Belfour | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 1995–96 | Chris OsgoodMike Vernon | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1996–97 | Martin BrodeurMike Dunham | New Jersey Devils |
| 1997–98 | Martin Brodeur | New Jersey Devils |
| 1998–99 | Ed BelfourRoman Turek | Dallas Stars |
| 1999–00 | Roman Turek | St. Louis Blues |
| 2000–01 | Dominik Hasek | Buffalo Sabres |
| 2001–02 | Patrick Roy | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2002–03 | Martin Brodeur | New Jersey Devils |
| Roman CechmanekRobert Esche | Philadelphia Flyers | |
| 2003–04 | Martin Brodeur | New Jersey Devils |
| 2005–06 | Miikka Kiprusoff | Calgary Flames |
| 2006–07 | Niklas BackstromManny Fernandez | Minnesota Wild |
| 2007–08 | Dominik HasekChris Osgood | Detroit Red Wings |
| 2008–09 | Tim Thomas | Boston Bruins |
| 2009–10 | Martin BrodeurManny Fernandez | New Jersey Devils |
| 2010–11 | Roberto LuongoCory Schneider | Vancouver Canucks |
| 2011–12 | Brian ElliottJaroslav Halak | St. Louis Blues |
| 2012–13 | Corey CrawfordRay Emery | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2013–14 | Jonathan Quick | Los Angeles Kings |
| 2014–15 | Corey Crawford | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Carey Price | Montreal Canadiens | |
| 2015–16 | Frederik AndersenJohn Gibson | Anaheim Ducks |
| 2016–17 | Braden Holtby | Washington Capitals |
| 2017–18 | Jonathan Quick | Los Angeles Kings |
| 2018–19 | Thomas GreissRobin Lehner | New York Islanders |
| 2019–20 | Tuukka RaskJaroslav Halak | Boston Bruins |
| 2020–21 | Marc-Andre FleuryRobin Lehner | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 2021–22 | Frederik AndersenAntti Raanta | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 2022–23 | Linus UllmarkJeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins |
Note: There was no winner during the 2004-05 season due to NHL Lockout.
Players with Most William M. Jennings Trophy
Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur have won the most William M. Jennings Trophies with 5 apiece. The list also includes notable players like Ed Belfour and Domminik Hasek.
Players with the most William M. Jennings Trophy are listed below:
| Players | Teams | No. of Trophies |
| Patrick Roy | Montreal Canadiens | 5 |
| Martin Brodeur | New Jersey Devils | 5 |
| Ed Belfour | Chicago Blackhawks | 4 |
| Domminik Hasek | Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings | 3 |
Teams with Most William M. Jennings Trophies
The Montreal Canadiens have had the most players who have won the William M. Jennings Trophies. The elusive list also includes notable teams like the New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks who have 5 trophies apiece.
List of teams with the most William M. Jennings Trophies are listed below:
| Teams | No. of Trophies |
| Montreal Canadiens | 6 |
| New Jersey Devils | 5 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 5 |
| Boston Bruins | 4 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 3 |
FAQ's On List of NHL William M. Jennings Trophy Winners
A. Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy hold the record for winning the most William M. Jennings Trophies, with 5 apiece.
A. The William Jennings Trophy was introduced by the NHL in the 1981-1982 season and is named after William M. Jennings, the longtime governor and president of the New York Rangers.
A. The William M. Jennings Trophy is presented annually in the National Hockey League to the goaltender who has played at least 25 games for the team and has allowed the fewest goals during the regular season.
A. The William Jennings Trophy is presented to the goaltenders who allow the fewest goals in the regular season ( at least 25 games played). However, The Vezina Trophy is presented to a goaltender who is judged to be the best at his position during the regular season.
