25 Worst award snubs in NHL history: 3. Roberto Luongo Vezina Trophy 2004
Let’s get back to Martin Brodeur. While the voters took a Conn Smythe Trophy from him in 2003, the voters came back and gifted him a Vezina Trophy. Seems like a fair trade, if you ask us. In 2003-04, Brodeur was really good, but Roberto Luongo was undoubtedly the best goalie in the world. What he did for the Vancouver Canucks that season was untouchable.
This is another tragic case where one of the best of his era ended up winning no awards. Luongo felt like one of the best goalies in the league for a decade. However, he never once won the Vezina Trophy. All of the stats traditional and advanced say that Luongo was the best goalie in the league.
Luongo had a 48.4 goals saved above average in 2003-04. Brodeur’s was 10.3. Not only did Brodeur win the Vezina Trophy, but he was a shoo-in because he was also a Hart Trophy finalist. Nothing against Brodeur, but this wasn’t even close to one of his best seasons. Maybe he got a little too much credit for Scott Stevens missing most of the season with concussion issues?
Luongo was carrying a bad Canucks team. Again, we gave the Vezina Trophy to the player who won the most games. On paper, that seems fine, but that’s not how hockey works, and we know that now. Luongo was the best goalie in the league in 2004, but that’s not how voters gave the trophies back then.