Connor Hellebuyck Is a Loser For Ducking His Return to Winnipeg

The situation surrounding Connor Hellebuyck’s departure from the Winnipeg Jets has already been an ugly one, but the New Jersey Devils and Hellebuyck himself have somehow managed to make it even worse.

Ever since the trade between the Jets and Devils was completed on October 23rd to send the star goalie to New Jersey after requesting a trade, there was an immediate amount of anticipation surrounding Hellebuyck’s return to Winnipeg, which was scheduled for Tuesday, November 10th.

Then, last night the Devils announced that their newly acquired goaltender would not start against his former team, leaving Jets fans without the opportunity to see the franchise legend return to Canada Life Center and face the music.

Quite frankly, it is a decision that is difficult to understand, and one that has left me with even less respect for how Hellebuyck has handled his exit out of Winnipeg.

When Hellebuyck was traded to the Devils late last month, his return to Winnipeg instantly became one of the most anticipated games of the season.

Hellebuyck sat out the beginning of the season before quickly working his way back into the lineup following the trade. After shutting out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Sunday night, he improved to 5-0 with New Jersey to begin his tenure with the Devils and with his next game scheduled against Winnipeg, everything pointed toward Hellebuyck getting the start against his former team.

After requesting a trade, making his frustrations public, missing training camp, and then being suspended, Hellebuyck has left behind a complicated relationship with the organization that made him a star.

Not to mention, he also sacrificed nearly a million dollars in earnings during the process by not reporting to camp.

There is no denying what Hellebuyck accomplished in Winnipeg; he's a Hart Trophy winner, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, and played a significant role in helping the Jets capture a Presidents' Trophy in 2025 as the league's best team during the regular season. Regardless of how people feel about his departure, he is no doubt the greatest player in franchise history.

When it's all set and done, that legacy should and won't be forgotten, but Hellebuyck has done very little to make his exit any easier for the fans to accept.

The Devils explanation for why Hellebuyck would not start against Winnipeg is laughable, as they said, doing so would "negatively affect the team's probability of winning".

Again, that explanation is laughable.

I simply cannot be convinced that starting Jake Allen in net instead of Connor Hellebuyck improves New Jersey's chances of winning on Tuesday, let alone any given night, particularly with how good Hellebuyck has been since he joined the Devils.

He is widely regarded as the best goaltender in the NHL. If he is healthy, available, and on a heater, why would you not want him in the net for a game of this magnitude?

I get that analytics are an important part of modern hockey, but they cannot account for every circumstance. What about factors like motivation and emotion? You can't put numbers on that. I have little doubt that Hellebuyck would have been extremely motivated to play against the organization he left behind.

If the Devils genuinely believe that starting him would reduce their chances of winning, show me the stat behind this, and if Hellebuyck himself did not push to play, that is equally disappointing and cowardly.

He said he was ready to face the music, acknowledge the boo birds due to the circumstances surrounding his departure, and accept the criticism that was inevitably coming his way.

Instead, he will avoid the moment altogether.

What makes this situation so frustrating is the number of Winnipeg Jets fans who deserved to make their voices heard and who were forward to this game.

I saw on Twitter that some people planned to travel 10+ hours to attend, while I assume everyone who is going had to spend a significant amount of money for tickets to witness Hellebuyck's return.

For Jets fans, this was not just another regular-season game, this means something to them.

The Jets and their fans are now left preparing for a game that was going to be one of the most emotional nights in recent franchise history, and now the central figure will not be participating.

Jets' players deserved the opportunity to face their former teammate who quit on them. The fans deserved the opportunity to express their feelings toward him. Most importantly, Hellebuyck owed it to himself to walk into that building and accept whatever reception awaited him.

The crowd was going to boo him and he should be on the ice to accept it.

There are plenty of examples in professional sports history of superstar athletes returning to cities where their departures were ugly… BUT THEY ACCEPTED IT!

When LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2010 following his decision to leave for Miami, the atmosphere in that building was the angriest fan base I have ever seen. Cleveland fans booed, threw batteries, said vulgar things, and made their feelings known. Yet, LeBron was there to deal with the consequences of his decision.

Kevin Durant experienced something similar when he returned to Oklahoma City in 2017 after leaving the Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, the team that had eliminated Oklahoma City from the playoffs. His departure remains one of the most controversial decisions in NBA history, but he still returned and faced the crowd.

More recently in the NHL, Brady Tkachuk demonstrated how a player can handle an uncomfortable return when his Panthers visited the Ottawa Senators last month. Despite the circumstances surrounding his departure, he showed up, accepted the criticism, and allowed the game to live up to the anticipation.

You do not have to agree with the decisions these athletes made, but you have to respect their willingness to face the consequences of their actions.

That is what makes Hellebuyck's situation so frustrating. Players who have made similarly controversial decisions have understood that returning to their former cities comes with uncomfortable moments. They have accepted the boos, answered the tough questions, and allowed fans to express their feelings towards the players.

What a joke.

Another frustrating part of this entire situation is how little clarity Hellebuyck has provided about why he wanted out of Winnipeg in the first place.

When he arrived in New Jersey, he teased a statement that ultimately offered very little meaningful explanation. It felt generic and did not address the questions that Jets fans have had since he went public with his trade request in the summer.

But he has yet to provide an actual detailed explanation of why he wanted to leave Manitoba.

There are also questions about whether Hellebuyck will even make himself available in person at the game. Typically, a backup goalie at the very least sits on the bench, but apparently, when he serves as a backup, he sometimes remains in the dressing room with the goaltending coach rather than sitting on the bench.

Although the Devils said that he would be available to the media, I would not be surprised if the availability took place virtually rather than in person.

After everything that has happened, he owes to the people of Winnipeg to play in that game.

Hellebuyck had an opportunity to explain himself, return to Winnipeg, and accept whatever reception awaited him. Instead, he's ducking the game, and there is little indication that he cares.

At least the other athletes have understood that facing the criticism was part of the process. Hellebuyck has not demonstrated the same willingness.

I do not know exactly how or when this will come back to haunt him, but I believe it eventually will.

For now, I feel for the Winnipeg Jets fans who spent their hard-earned money expecting to witness one of the biggest games in franchise history.

Go kick the New Jersey Devils ass.