Connor Hellebuyck sends a message to Jets fans after trade

“I hope they know I care about them,” the netminder said in a message to Winnipeg Jets fans, and it lands at a moment when emotions in Manitoba are running high.

The words arrive on the heels of a trade that sent the three-time Vezina Trophy winner to the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Winnipeg received forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, the rights to prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder.

The deal landed on the day his suspension was set to end, which meant he never returned to the Jets lineup.

It has not been a tidy breakup. Hellebuyck asked for a trade months before going public in late August, then stayed away from training camp and was suspended on Sept. 16.

Some supporters felt hurt, while others understood his reasoning. That context gives his short message extra weight, because it speaks directly to people who watched him give 11 seasons to one franchise.

The résumé is hard to ignore. A fifth-round pick in 2012, he leaves as the franchise leader in games played (625), wins (345) and shutouts (45).

He also won the Hart Trophy in 2024-25 and backstopped Team USA to Olympic gold in February.

The Jets sit at 4-3-3 and will lean on Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson in goal. Captain Adam Lowry has said the group is focused on what it can control.

Their next big moment is Sunday's Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium, the same outdoor venue where Hellebuyck made 29 saves in 2016.

The Devils visit Winnipeg on Nov. 10, and that night could be emotional if Hellebuyck is in net. Whether fans answer his message with cheers, boos or something in between remains to be seen, but his words make clear he wants them to know the connection was real.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Penguins receive very unfortunate Evgeni Malkin news ahead of Predators clash