It was supposed to be the grand, if a little awkward, return of Connor Hellebuyck to Winnipeg, but Jets fans will need to wait until another day to greet or taunt him.
The all-star goalie, who spent 11 seasons in a Jets jersey before demanding a trade this past off-season and being sent to New Jersey late last month, won’t be in the crease when his Devils visit Winnipeg on Tuesday.
“I’m disappointed but I understand, you know. Selfishly I want to play, but when you’re looking at the team and what’s best for the team, I understand where they’re coming from,” Hellebuyck told reporters in a post-game scrum Sunday after a 4-0 shutout in Toronto.
“I love Winnipeg and, you know, playing there again and just facing the music and seeing the reaction, it’d be nice, but it’s out of my hands. I know there’s a pretty sour taste in Winnipeg. I’ve heard that.”
The decision to sit Hellebuyck was released publicly in a statement Sunday by Devils general manager Sunny Mehta.
“This has been an organizational decision for us that we’ve debated at length. 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’s statement said.
“Even though Connor isn’t playing, at his request, we will co-ordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre.”
New Jersey Devils GM Sunny Mehta released this statement about the team’s upcoming game in Winnipeg and their decision not to put Connor Hellebuyck in net. (New Jersey Devils/X)
Hellebuyck’s trade followed a prolonged and strained end to his career in Winnipeg.
When the requested trade hadn’t been made before training camp started in fall, Hellebuyck failed to show up, so the Jets suspended him.
He was traded the day that suspension was set to end.
Many Jets fans expressed feelings of betrayal, as the trade request came just two years after Hellebuyck committed to a seven-year contract extension and declared, “I’m ready to be a Jet for life and bring a Cup to this city, because I truly believe we can get it done here.”
Fans circled Nov. 10 on their calendars and tickets for that game sold out quickly, despite demand tripling the price to nearly $200 in the upper levels and to more than $500 in the lower bowl.
Connor Hellebuyck was drafted by the Jets and played 11 seasons in the city, winning three Vezina trophies as the league’s best goaltender, a Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player and the William Jennings Trophy twice for allowing the fewest goals in a season. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press)
Jets fans are famous for having some of the loudest, wittiest and most creative roasts, and social media was filled with online discussions about the best heckles for Hellebuyck.
Following Sunday’s announcement by Mehta, fans took to social media again.
“Are they saying he can’t handle the heat? That’s definitely worse than playing and taking his licking, right?” one posted to a Reddit thread.
Another said it might be worse for Hellebuyck to just sit on the bench and have catcalls rain down. At least if he were playing, he could distract himself with the game.
“The Brady game in Ottawa was one of the best I’ve seen outside of the playoffs. To deprive us fans of this kind of entertainment should be illegal,” said another, referring to the heckling endured by Brady Tkachuk when he returned to Ottawa after requesting a trade to Florida.
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“I’ve always said I’ll be ready when my name is called, and this time it’s not,” Hellebuyck said about being willing to face the crowd.
“I can only speak to my memories and my cherished moments in the city and, you know, I’ve loved every part of my career there. However I’m perceived, I’m going to choose love and I’m going to choose to remember … all the relationships I made and being part of that community and all the good times I had there.”
New Jersey head coach Sheldon Keefe said it’s a busy schedule, and Hellebuyck missed training camp and has only played five times since joining the Devils, who have won nine of their last 10 games.
“I understand the sensitivity to the situation when you’re hyper-focused on that game, as the Jets fans would be, understandably,” Keefe said.
“From our perspective, when you zoom out, this is a goaltender that is not going to play every single game.”
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Hellebuyck said he’s thought a lot about what to say in Winnipeg.
“It’s an extremely complex decision,” he said about leaving town. “No one’s really nailed it on the head, because there’s so many things that go into the decision, but there’s also the thought that the media is the one that wins if we come out and just start speaking negatives on each other. I’ve still got some time.
“I have nothing [but] respect for the organization and respect for the guys in the Jets locker room. I loved every part of it. I know it’s unfortunate that things ended the way they did. We’ll talk about it Tuesday.”
