Connor Hellebuyck makes his feelings clear about the Jets when retirement comes
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Connor Hellebuyck wants his long-term relationship with Winnipeg to outlast a messy exit, as the Devils goalie returns to Canada Life Centre.
Connor Hellebuyck does not want the way his Jets tenure ended to define his relationship with Winnipeg once he retires.
The message arrives on the night the New Jersey Devils goaltender makes his first return to Canada Life Centre since the trade.
It is a notable stance given how rough the breakup was.
Hellebuyck asked out at the end of last season, made the request public in August, skipped training camp and was suspended before Winnipeg dealt him on October 23.
What Winnipeg got back
The Jets sent Hellebuyck to New Jersey for Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
For a goalie who never suited up for them this season, that is a substantial package, and it closed a standoff that had hung over the franchise for months.
On November 4, Hellebuyck wrote an open letter to Jets fans, calling the trade request a painful decision rooted in family circumstances he wants to keep private.
He also thanked ownership, coaches, teammates and supporters.
His latest comments follow that same conciliatory tone.
That approach matters in a city where he spent his entire NHL career before this season.
A reunion without the headline act
The Devils have ruled him out as tonight's starter, with New Jersey in the middle of four games in eight nights.
Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET, and Hellebuyck addressed the Winnipeg media after the morning skate.
Whatever the reception, the résumé is hard to ignore.
Drafted in the fifth round in 2012, he owns the franchise records for wins with 345 and shutouts with 45, plus three Vezina Trophies and the 2025 Hart Trophy.
Fans will ultimately decide whether those years outweigh how it ended, and Hellebuyck's willingness to say he wants the door open gives them room to forgive.
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Connor Hellebuyck reveals what happened to his family in Winnipeg that pushed him to request a trade
Connor Hellebuyck reveals what happened to his family in Winnipeg that pushed him to request a trade