Connor Hellebuyck is heading back to Winnipeg with the noise still hanging in the air, and he’s not pretending otherwise.
The Devils goalie, who spent 11 seasons with the Jets before being dealt on Oct. 23, said he’s expecting plenty when he steps back into Canada Life Centre on November 10. That will be his first return to Winnipeg since the trade that sent him to New Jersey in a package for Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Nico Daws, the rights to Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
“The majority of my best memories are there. I look forward to going back and seeing the place, how they react,” he said.
“But I do look forward ... I had a great time there," said Hellebuyck to ESPN.
His exit came after an unpaid suspension that began Sept. 16 when he skipped training camp. The trade was finalized on the day that suspension was set to end.
Four days later, he was back in an NHL crease, stopping 17 of 18 shots in a 5-1 win over the Stars in Dallas. That was his first game since April 13.
Hellebuyck’s request to leave followed online harassment aimed at him and his family after he won Olympic gold with Team USA in Milan and visited the White House, according to CBC News. Cheveldayoff said in September that the situation had grown serious enough that team security and local police were involved, with added monitoring around Hellebuyck’s Winnipeg home.
Inside the Jets locker room, the mood before the deal was hardly warm and fuzzy. Captain Adam Lowry said if Hellebuyck were to come back, “conversations are going to have to happen.”
Once the trade was complete, though, Lowry sounded relieved.
“It was a bit of a cloud hanging over our heads. It’s nice we can look forward now.
We don’t have to keep talking about it. We’ve got guys that want to be here," said Lowry.
Mark Scheifele echoed that feeling, while also tipping his cap to the goalie who spent so many years in Winnipeg.
“... just not having to answer questions and being able to move on with the team we have moving forward is good for clarity... He’s one of the best goalies in the world. Three Vezinas, Hart Trophy, a goalie that got us to some places, memories I’ll remember forever."
In Other News...
Hellebuyck Finally Addressed The Trade Request Devils Fans Keep Talking About
Connor Hellebuycks first public message since landing with the Devils was aimed squarely at Winnipeg, where he spent his previous stretch and built the kind of connection that makes a trade request sting for fans on both sides. In a letter to Jets supporters, he thanked the organization and the crowd for their backing, and made clear that his time there meant a great deal to him.
The part he did not unpack is the one that has kept Devils fans and Jets fans talking since the move became official. Hellebuyck said asking out was not easy and pointed to personal family circumstances he chose to keep private, leaving the broader speculation around his request unanswered for now. [Read more 🡒]
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The first 9,000 fans through the doors will receive a military cap, while military personnel will be offered complimentary tickets as part of the nights outreach. The pregame program is set to include a ceremonial puck drop by World War II veteran Bob Walsh, along with performances by military personnel, giving the event a ceremonial feel that has become a meaningful part of the Devils home schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Stay Hot After Another Big Night From Jack Hughes
Jack Hughes kept rolling with another two-goal night, and the Devils needed every bit of it in a 4-3 shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers. Connor Hellebuyck held up his end in the extra session, helping New Jersey keep its momentum going in a game that had plenty of firepower on both sides.
For a Devils team trying to stay hot, nights like this matter because they show how much they can lean on Hughes when the pace picks up. The win also came in a league landscape that has been busy off the ice as well, with trade chatter around Nikita Kucherov and a broader international dispute over Russia's status at the upcoming world junior tournament adding more noise around the sport. [Read more 🡒]