To win the Stanley Cup three years in a row is the sign of dynasty. To win an individual award in three consecutive seasons is incredibly impressive. That’s the case with George Hainsworth and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender.
Hainsworth was the inaugural winner of the award in 1926-27. He doubled down in 1927-28 and then in 1928-29 Hainsworth earned his third straight Vezina Trophy, making him the first to win the award three times and three times consecutively – obviously.
At the time, the award was given to the goalie who plaed more than 25 games and was on the team that allowed the fewest goals against. In this case, it was Hainsworth and the Montreal Canadiens in 1928-29.
With that, here’s a look back on one of the most remarkable seasons in NHL history by a goaltender. Here’s a reminder of just how impressive Hainsworth’s 1928-29 season was on the road to his third and final Vezina Trophy win.
Hainsworth Completes the Three-Peat
During the late 1920s, the Canadiens were an incredibly tough out in the NHL. At the heart of that team were Howie Morenz and their goaltender – Hainsworth. As a 33-year-old, Hainsworth was in his third NHL season with Vezina’s already in back-to-back years.
His third season was much of the same. He was the lone goaltender on the team and as such started 44 games for the Canadiens during the 1928-29 season. It wasn’t just one of the best seasons in his career, but his numbers were so good that it remains one of the best seasons in NHL history – from a numbers perspective.
Hainsworth finished the year with a 22-7-15 record in 44 games. He had a career-high and NHL record 22 shutouts, equating to half of his games played that season, and only gave up 43 goals in the 44 games he played.
Related: Revisiting Vezina Trophy Seasons – George Hainsworth’s 1927-28 Season
He also finished with a 0.92 goals against average – a stat that remains unmatched to this day. While he didn’t set a career-high in wins, he did have just seven losses which was the lowest in his career in seasons that he played 40 games or more. During the season, he and the Canadiens had a run of 16 games in which they either won or tied, spanning over parts of three months of the season from late December to early February.
While Hainsworth went on to his third straight Vezina that season, the Canadiens run came to an end after just three postseason games at the hands of the Montreal Maroons in the semi-finals. The Maroons went on to lose to the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final losing three games to two.
Hainsworth Solidified His Place in Canadiens Lore
It took just three seasons for Hainsworth to become a legend amongst the Canadiens. His name still holds merit with his 1928-29 season being one of the greatest in NHL history and while he remained with the Canadiens for years following, it was his three-peat and this season in particular that stands out to those who love their team’s history.
Related: Revisiting Calder Trophy Seasons Collection
Hainsworth played another four seasons with the Canadiens following his Vezina wins and another four games to close out his career in 1936-37, but he was an older goaltender as the seasons went on and with the NHL adding four more games late in his career to the regular season, he wasn’t able to replicate the success he had early in his career.
Hainsworth Remembered For His Success
Regardless, Hainsworth’s value to the franchise was already high given what he had accomplished in the first three seasons of his career. He did win the Stanley Cup in 1930 and 1931 with the Canadiens and closed out his career with them after signing to fill-in for an injured Wilf Cude in December 1936.
When he retired, his 246 wins were the most in NHL history, a mark that has since been lapped by a number of goaltenders who’ve come after him.
Hainsworth passed at just 57 tragically from a car collision that saw him suffer broken ribs that ultimately punctured his heart. He was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961 in the player category and remains one of just five goalies to win the Vezina three times during their careers.
