Edmonton Oilers Heritage Website

The Vezina Trophy is handed out each year to the goalkeeper deemed to be the best at his position as voted by the general managers of each of the 30 clubs. This award is special to goalies winning the award, not just for the honour and prestige it brings to their career, but because it is named in honour of one of their own—Montreal Canadiens goaltender Georges “the Chicoutimi Cucumber” Vezina.

Georges Vezina was born in Chicoutimi, Quebec, in 1887. By the time he was 23, the Montreal Canadians took notice of the young Chicoutimi goalkeeper. George Vezina joined the Canadiens in 1911 and quickly became a favourite of the Montreal public, and was becoming the star of his own team. Georges led his team to the NHA (National Hockey Association) championship twice, was crowned champion of the National Hockey League three times and won the Stanley cup twice (1916 and 1924).

Vezina's trademark was his extraordinary coolness in net, which earned him the moniker the "Chicoutimi Cucumber". Also nicknamed "l'Habitant silencieux," the "Silent Habitat," Vezina talked very little. Father of 22 children, Georges loved the family atmosphere. He complained so little that nobody realized that he was fighting for his life while at post in the Canadiens' net. Pittsburgh was playing against the Canadiens that night at the old Mount Royal arena in Montreal. After a scoreless first period, Vezina left the rink bleeding from the mouth. After falling unconscious in the locker room, he returned to the net for the second period, but after a few minutes, he fell again and had to leave the game. It was at that moment that the members of his family realized he had tuberculosis. Vezina died four months later at the age of 39. Vezina played 328 league games and 39 playoff games prior to his untimely death.

In 1926-27, Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich, former owners of the Montreal Canadiens, presented the Vezina trophy to the NHL in memory of their outstanding goalkeeper who collapsed during an NHL game on November 28, 1925, and never recovered. Georges Vezina died March 27, 1926 of tuberculosis. Vezina was one of the original 12 men to be inducted into Hockey's Hall of Fame in 1945.