About Andrei Vasilevskiy
Andrei Andreyevich Vasilevskiy (Russian: Андрей Андреевич Василевский; born 25 July 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 19th overall, by the Lightning at the 2012 NHL entry draft. Nicknamed the "Big Cat" and "Vasy", Vasilevskiy is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, as the league's top goaltender in the 2018–19 season and the 2025–26 season. He was also nominated for the 2017–18 NHL season. He led the league in wins for five consecutive seasons (2017–18 to 2021–22). He backstopped the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020, where he set a record of 18 playoff wins (only possible because that year's postseason had play-in games), and again in 2021 where he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. == Playing career == === Junior === He was originally selected by Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2011 KHL Junior Draft. Vasilevskiy was selected 19th overall in the 2012 NHL entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. On 6 May 2014, he was signed by the Lightning to a three-year, entry-level contract. === Professional (2014–present) === ==== Early years in Tampa Bay (2014–2016) ==== On 27 September, Vasilevskiy was assigned to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL), the top minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.