Blittner’s Blue Line: Can Goalies Win MVP?

By Matt Blittner, The New York Extra/TheNYExtra.com

“IGOR! IGOR! IGOR!” It is the NHL’s newest and most in vogue chant on Broadway. For many years those same fans chanted “HENRIK! HENRIK! HENRIK!” at the top of their lungs. But their new leading man is on the verge of doing something his predecessor never did.

Actually, for that matter, New York’s current red, white and blue Monarch is on the cusp of doing something never before seen on Seventh Avenue. He’s closing in on wearing two crowns.

As of the writing of this column, Rangers’ goaltender Igor Shesterkin is not only the odds on favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, but also one of the favorites to take home the Hart Trophy as League MVP. This begs the question, can and more importantly, should goaltenders be able to win the MVP trophy?

If you take a quick glance at the history of the NHL’s MVP trophy, you’ll notice that since the first year the award was given out (1923-24 season), only seven netminders have ever been deemed worthy of the honor. Carey Price, Jose Theodore, Dominik Hasek, Jacques Plante, Al Rollins, Chuck Rayner and Roy Worters are the only goalies to win the Hart Trophy, with Hasek actually doing so twice. 

Clearly, the voters prefer not to give the award to goalies. Many will tell you the Vezina Trophy is all goalies need. It’s like in baseball, Pitchers have their own award that’s separate from the rest of the league. It’s called The CY Young Award. But even then, several Pitchers have still found themselves as recipients of the league’s MVP honors. 

So, while there’s clearly a preference and a separation, it’s not impossible for a goalie to cross the imaginary line and win the Hart Trophy. And I say good for them. Why should hockey’s masked men be considered separate from the rest of the league? They’re already considered by many to be a different species of hockey player. Perhaps we all need a lesson in inclusivity. 

Getting back to Igor Shesterkin, not only is he bidding to become the eighth goalie in league history to win the MVP, he’s also trying to become only the fifth puck-stopper to ever win both the Hart and the Vezina in the same season.

The last goaltender to win both together was Carey Price in the 2014-15 season. Prior to Price, Jose Theodore (2001-02), Dominik Hasek (19966-97 & 1997-98) and Jacques Plante (1961-62) were the only members of this ultra exclusive club. Will the club open its doors for Shesterkin?

The case for Shesterkin is pretty compelling. Through Monday March 8, 2022, the young goalie has a record of 28-6-3, a league-leading .942 SV%, a league-leading 1.93 GAA and three shutouts. Not only that, but he’s also unofficially leading the league in “stolen victories.” 

Much like his predecessor Henrik Lundqvist, Shesterkin is the main reason the Rangers are where they are in the standings. For over a decade the Blueshirts only went as far as Lundqvist took them. Now they will only go as far as Shesterkin can take them. 

Rangers’ Head Coach, Gerard Gallant told The NY Post, “he goes in there, he’s focused, he plays his game and he’s just confident in his hockey game. Every night he’s just been outstanding.”

He has indeed been “outstanding” and with the Rangers currently poised to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season all eyes are on Shesterkin as he calmly chases down history. 

You could make the case that without Shesterkin the Blueshirts wouldn’t even be in a playoff spot. And if they were to still be in playoff position, they wouldn’t be nearly as secure as they currently are. There’s not a single goalie in the NHL this year who you could name who would have the Rangers in a better position at this point in the season. 

If that’s not the definition of “most valuable” then I don’t know what is.