On Thursday night, Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy made NHL history by becoming the fastest goalie to 300 wins, achieving the feat in 490 games, besting the record held by Montreal Canadiens legend Jacques Plante.
The Hockey Hall of Famer and the goalie who pioneered the face mask set the wins record in 1962-63, winning his 300th game in 521 contests.
Vasilevskiy, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe Trophy winner bested Plante’s mark by 31 games.
Since being drafted by the Lightning in the first round (19th overall) in 2012, Vasilevskiy has played his entire career in Tampa Bay, he debuted at 20 and, within ten years, secured his 300th win.
Meanwhile, Plante, a six-time Stanley Cup champion, debuted at 23 in 1952-53 and collected his 300th win at age 34 during the 1962-63 season.
After his 18-year NHL career, the seven-time Vezina Trophy winner was the winningest goalie in Canadiens history. When he retired in 1973, he had an overall record of 437-246-145 and 82 shutouts.
Vasilevskiy, the NHL single-season wins leader on five occasions, set a career-high with 44 wins in 2016-17. Since becoming the Lightning’s starter in 2016-17, he has routinely averaged over 30 wins a campaign.
The Lightning netminder is in the middle of an eight-year deal with the Lightning that he signed in 2019. He’s on the books for $9.5 million annually until the end of the 2027-28 season.
