BY: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The National Hockey League announced today, June 21st, that New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy. The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually “to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position,” as selected by NHL general managers.
Shesterkin appeared in a career-high 53 games with the Rangers during the 2021-22 season, amassing a record of 36-14-4 with a .935 save percentage and 2.07 goals-against-average. The native of Moscow, Russia, led the NHL in both save percentage and goals-against-average during the 2021-22 regular season. He also finished third in the NHL in shutouts with six.
During the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Shesterkin posted a record of 10-9 with a .929 save percentage. He guided the Rangers to the club’s first appearance in the Eastern Conference Final since 2015.
Prior to his NHL career, Shesterkin appeared in 25 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack during the 2019-20 AHL season. Shesterkin posted a record of 17-4-5 with the Pack, recording three shutouts in the process. He posted a .934 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against-average and was named as the Wolf Pack’s representative in the 2020 AHL All-Star Game.
Shesterkin becomes the first Wolf Pack alumni to capture the Vezina Trophy.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK
The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
