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The strange saga surrounding Devils goalie Connor Hellebuyck extended into another day, with the superstar seeking to justify his ugly exit from Winnipeg and the Jets openly criticizing New Jersey’s decision to sit him for Tuesday night’s game.
Hellebuyck, who won three Vezina Trophies and an NHL MVP award while previously in Winnipeg, said that there were moments with the Jets “that crossed a line,” and he also referenced receiving online death threats. That situation escalated after Hellebuyck helped lead the U.S. men’s hockey team to a gold medal win over Canada in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, and U.S. President Donald Trump said at the State of the Union that Hellebuyck would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“This is a very complex decision, and a very difficult one,” Hellebuyck said about leaving Winnipeg at a pre-game press conference at Canada Life Centre. “I loved my time here, but there were a few moments that I don’t want to see happen again. It is more than just online death threats. I won’t go deeper than that, but there is more that made me and my family uncomfortable, on top of some uncertainty with my career, that I felt a change of scenery was best.”
Hellebuyck dodged several follow-up questions seeking more clarity on the source and nature of the threats, and the extent to which the tense state of U.S.-Canada politics played a role in the situation. No criminal charges have emerged regarding the death threats.
After amassing a run as arguably the greatest player in Jets franchise history, Hellebuyck demanded a trade earlier this year, and then refused to report for training camp and the start of the season, ultimately forfeiting nearly $928,000 in salary. Winnipeg then agreed to a blockbuster trade with New Jersey on Oct. 23.
On Tuesday, Hellebuyck returned to Winnipeg for the first time since then, but he won’t be playing against the Jets. The Devils cited in a widely rebuked statement from GM Sunny Mehta that Hellebuyck “playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability.”
Jets fans likely won’t even have the option to cheer or boo Hellebuyck inside of Canada Life Centre during the game, as he typically watches from an interior video room when serving as a backup. As a result, his on-ice time will probably be limited to warmups.
“I’m on a new team. I’m 14 days into a new team, and they handle their business differently than I’m used to,” Hellebuyck said. “I went in there and I said my piece, and I said I felt it was my duty to play this game. I want to play. And I had a good conversation with the coach [Sheldon Keefe] and Sunny, and I left that conversation understanding where they’re at, and why they’re making their decision. And I respect it.”
Ticket resale prices for Tuesday night’s Devils-Jets game have also steadily fallen with the news of Hellebuyck sitting. After a low-end get-in price soared from $39 to $146 following last month’s trade, it has since sagged back to $53 since the Devils’ decision, according to TicketData. That’s still higher than the comparable figure for any other Jets home game in the next six weeks, though.
“The competitor in me, of course, wants to get Connor out there. Let’s go. Let’s get at it,” Keefe said. “But Sunny made the decision he didn’t want [Hellebuyck] to be a part of this.”
Team Criticism
The Hellebuyck situation, meanwhile, has prompted a rare public rebuke of an NHL team’s roster management activities by another franchise. Jets coach Scott Arniel took particular aim at the Devils’ decision to cite analytics in their decision to sit Hellebuyck.
“I’ve seen a lot of analytics in my life since it’s really come into the forefront. I’m not sure how this works into the analytics part of it,” he said, adding he was “disappointed” in the Devils’ move.
Arniel also criticized Hellebuyck’s decision to abandon the Jets team he helped lead for 11 seasons.
“I mean, he just gave up on us,” Arniel said. “And so, it’ll be nice to just finally be done with this.”
Though the Devils won’t be back in Winnipeg after Tuesday until the 2027–28 NHL season, the Jets will be in New Jersey on Nov. 28 to play at Prudential Center. That means the Hellebuyck questions will likely resurface then.
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