Connor Hellebuyck’s first trip back to Winnipeg will come without a start.
New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said Sunday night that the three-time Vezina Trophy winner will not play against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, even though Hellebuyck wanted to be in the net for the matchup.
“This has been an organizational decision for us that we’ve debated at length,” Mehta said. “Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play on Tuesday in Winnipeg.
However, in our estimation, playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability. Even though Connor isn’t playing, at his request, we will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre.”
The decision takes some of the edge off what had been shaping up as a major return to Manitoba. Tuesday night is the only time this season the Jets and Devils will meet in Winnipeg, and it marks the first game between the franchises since the blockbuster trade that sent Hellebuyck to New Jersey. Winnipeg received forwards Nick Bjugstad, Dawson Mercer and Alexander Command, goaltender Nico Daws, a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, and a seventh-rounder in 2027.
That deal came months after Hellebuyck requested a trade from the Jets and was suspended by the club after failing to report to training camp.
Even without him in uniform, the spotlight in Winnipeg figures to stay fixed on Hellebuyck. Jets fans have never been shy about making life uncomfortable for visiting players, and that’s especially true for someone who pushed to get out.
The odd part for New Jersey is that leaving him out may actually cost them. Since arriving in the Garden State, Hellebuyck has been perfect in five starts, going 5-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage and one shutout. Those numbers stand out even more because he didn’t attend training camp or appear in a game before the trade.
Hellebuyck cited “challenging family circumstances” as one of the reasons he wanted out of Winnipeg.
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