NHL nominates three finalist goaltenders for 2012 Vezina Trophy award-NHL News
The National Hockey League (NHL) has nominated three finalist goaltenders for the 2011-2012 Vezina Trophy award, to be presented to the best netminder of the year at a ceremony to be held on June 15, 2012.
The nominees are New York Rangers’ goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, Nashville Predators’ Pekka Rinne and Los Angeles Kings' Jonathan Quick.
Thirty NHL general managers will cast their votes to select the best goaltender from the three.
The award is the annual feature of the NHL and goaltender is one of overall 10 categories under which best players and officials are given awards as an appreciation of their talent and skills.
A ceremony will be held at the Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas and attended by leading figures of sports and entertainment industries.
The process of nominations, which was started on Friday, April 20, is going to complete on April 30, with three finalists chosen for each of the ten categories.
Lundqvist, has welcomed his nomination for the award. He is leading Rangers with 39 wins and has the goals-against average of 1.97.
He said:
"I'm really proud and honoured to be with those names. It's been a year where there have been a lot of good goalies this year and playing really well this year.”
He added:
“To be up there, it's a great feeling. Obviously I take a lot of pride that. I think also my teammates should feel good about it because it's about teamwork."
His teammates are also happy over his nomination for the award. They said his selection among the finalists was well deserved.
Right wing, Marian Gaborik, said:
"He's been the rock of our team. The stone for us all year. He's been consistent and we wouldn't be where we are and where we finished the regular season without him."
Lundqvist, who is a Swede, also managed to record eight shutouts during the regular season.
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