The Jennings Trophy was donated by the NHL's board of governors and first handed out at the end of the 1981–82 season. It is named for the late William M. Jennings, who was a governor and president of the New York Rangers and who helped build ice hockey in the United States. Normally the lowest number of games a goaltender must play to be eligible for the trophy is 25, but for the lockout shortened 1994–95 season, the lowest was fourteen games.