Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was eager to play against the Jets in Winnipeg on Tuesday, his first game against the squad that traded him to the New Jersey Devils in October following a holdout. His new squad has other ideas.
The Devils announced on Sunday night that they would not allow Hellebuyck to play in the potential revenge game.
“This has been an organizational decision for us that we’ve debated at length,” New Jersey General Manager Sunny Mehta said in a statement. “Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play on Tuesday in Winnipeg.”
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Hellebuyck spent the first 11 seasons of his NHL career in Winnipeg, winning three Vezina Trophies as the league’s best goaltender and the 2024-25 MVP award.
He requested a trade this year, citing “very challenging … personal circumstances” in an address to fans. The Jets suspended the 33-year-old when he didn’t report to training camp, later shipping him to the Devils in a blockbuster trade.
“I love Winnipeg and playing there again — and just facing the music and seeing the reaction — would have been nice,” Hellebuyck told reporters on Sunday night. “It’s out of my hands.”
But New Jersey is keeping him on the bench in a return to Manitoba.
“In our estimation, playing in this game would give us a reduction in our estimated win probability,” Mehta wrote in an explanation that has been widely mocked.
The Devils will host a media availability for Hellebuyck at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, though.
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