Connor Hellebuyck return to Winnipeg with the New Jersey Devils, Digi Mart USA News: Connor Hellebuyck will not start for the New Jersey Devils when he makes his first return to Winnipeg on Tuesday. Devils general manager Sunny Mehta announced that Hellebuyck will not play against his former team, the Winnipeg Jets, at Canada Life Centre, and the team is expected to start Jake Allen instead.
Mehta made the announcement in a statement released by the team after Hellebuyck made 23 saves in a 4-0 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. It was his first shutout since New Jersey acquired him from the Jets on Oct. 23.
Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said the decision relates to the team keeping a close eye on Hellebuyck’s workload as he settles into the season after not participating in training camp or preseason games.
“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.” Mehta added that, at Hellebuyck’s request, the team will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre.
Hellebuyck, who spoke to the media following Sunday’s game, reiterated that he was adamant about playing in Winnipeg. He said he was “disappointed” but understood the team’s decision.
“We definitely had a conversation and I told them my thoughts on it and they told me theirs, and at the end of the day I have to listen to them and I can only push so hard,” he said.
Hellebuyck played 11 seasons with the Jets, winning the Vezina Trophy three times and the Hart Trophy once. The end of his time in Winnipeg was acrimonious.
The 33-year-old revealed before the start of the season that he had asked for a trade, despite still having five years remaining on a seven-year, $59.5 million contract he signed with the Jets on Oct. 9, 2023. The Jets suspended him on Sept. 16 for failure to report to training camp, and he was traded on the day that suspension was scheduled to end.
“I know there’s a pretty sour taste in Winnipeg,” Hellebuyck said. “I can only speak to my memories and my cherished moments in the city, and I’ve loved every part of my career there.” He said he would choose to remember the moments, the community and the relationships he built during his time there.
Keefe cited the fact that Sunday’s start was Hellebuyck’s third in six nights, and said the team does not want to put him in a position to start four games in eight, especially with plans for him to start both games against the Washington Capitals later in the week. The Devils host the Capitals on Thursday and play in Washington on Saturday.
Hellebuyck is 5-0-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage with the Devils.
Keefe said that when you zoom out, Hellebuyck is a goaltender who will not play every game, and the schedule made a night off sensible. Despite not being the starter, Hellebuyck is scheduled to hold a press conference at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday, where he is expected to address his reasons for requesting a trade.
He wrote a letter to Jets fans, released on his Instagram account Wednesday, and said he has nothing but respect for the organization, its players and the community in Winnipeg.
