The Winnipeg Jets finally moved Connor Hellebuyck on Friday, sending the three-time Vezina Trophy winner to the New Jersey Devils on the day his suspension was due to expire. Kyle Connor was asked about it over the weekend.
He didn’t mention Hellebuyck at all.
“Yeah, super excited to get the guys we got into the fold who want to be here and want to be a part of Winnipeg Jets hockey,” Connor said.
The emphasis on who wants to be there was not accidental, and it carries more weight coming from him than from most. Connor spent ten seasons as Hellebuyck’s teammate in Winnipeg and won an Olympic gold medal alongside him with the United States in February.
He had set out his position back in training camp, saying that if Hellebuyck wanted to return, he had better be there to help the team win.
Connor Hellebuyck’s final season in Winnipeg:
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Record | 23-23-11 |
| Goals-against average | 2.86 |
| Save percentage | .895 |
Why did Connor Hellebuyck want to leave Winnipeg?
He described the season above as unacceptable, and privately asked out months before any of it became public. When nothing moved, he released a statement in August confirming the request and saying a move was the best path forward for him and his family. He then skipped training camp entirely, which earned him a suspension that cost him around $925,000 in forfeited salary.
Winnipeg got a substantial haul for a goaltender who had refused to play for them. Dawson Mercer, goaltender Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, the rights to Alexander Command, taken 12th overall by New Jersey in June and currently with Orebro in Sweden, plus a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
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The Jets have managed 4-3-3 without him, with Stuart Skinner carrying the net. New Jersey needed the help rather more urgently, with Jake Allen and Daws having combined for an .880 save percentage across the opening ten games.
“For myself, I’m just really excited for hockey again,” Hellebuyck said at the Prudential Center on Saturday.
He goes back to Winnipeg on November 10.
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