Connor Hellebuyck’s return to the Winnipeg Jets may not be the comfortable reunion anyone imagined, and the timing gives the club a tricky decision to sort through.
After skipping training camp following his trade request this offseason, Hellebuyck reportedly told the Jets before their first game of the season that he planned to bring an end to his unexcused absence. That matters because the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement is clear on the consequences. Under Article 15.13, subsection (c)(v), “if a Player who has not received permission to be absent from Training Camp returns to the Club, he shall be subject to a disciplinary suspension of reasonable length.”
Now that Hellebuyck is ending his self-imposed exile, the Jets appear to have little room left to argue over what counts as “reasonable” punishment.
Still, the possibility of his return has already reached the room. Team captain Adam Lowry addressed the situation after a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and didn’t try to dress it up.
“He’s a good friend of mine. Do I love the decision, do I love the way it’s dragged on?
No. But we’ll handle the situation when it comes,” Lowry told reporters.
“It’s unfair to speculate on what’s going to happen between now and Friday.”
#NHLJets captain Adam Lowry, post-game, on the Connor Hellebuyck situation and possibility of him returning to team by Friday.
“If he does show up, conversations are going to have to happen.”
- Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) October 17, 2026
Forward Scott Arniel was even less interested in diving into the what-ifs surrounding Hellebuyck’s potential return.
“I really don’t care right now on that scenario,” Arniel said. “That part falls on (GM Kevin Cheveldayoff). I’m going to face that when it happens.
“I don’t know what next week is going to look like. I’ve got 23 guys, all they care about is winning hockey games.”
The reason for Hellebuyck’s trade request is rooted in a career that has placed him among the NHL’s elite. He has won three Vezina Trophies and claimed the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2025. But after the Jets continued to come up short in the playoffs, Hellebuyck - who spent all 11 years of his NHL career in Winnipeg - became part of a rising group of star players asking out even while carrying long-term deals with no-trade clauses.
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