The New Jersey Devils have come up with one of the most surprising and unexpected excuses for not playing Connor Hellebuyck when the team and the goaltender return to Winnipeg to take on the Jets this Tuesday.
Admitting in an official statement that Hellebuyck wanted to play in the game, GM Sunny Mehta used analytics and the odds of winning as a justification not to put the former Jets goalie in between the pipes for a huge game.
What Did Mehta Say That Has Everyone Fired Up?
Fans are in disbelief at the reasoning behind the move. The Devils released the following statement:
“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. Even though Connor isn’t playing, at his request, we will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre.”
Say what?
The Devils decided that Hellebuyck playing against his old team would affect their win/loss probability? They aren’t starting their starter because one game could mess up those odds?
“This might be one of most embarrassing things i’ve ever seen a sports team say,” wrote one fan. Another noted, “Someone on the PR side green lit this?”
The NHL Can’t Love This Decision
The fact that the Devils aren’t playing Hellebuyck, despite his wanting to play, won’t go over well with the NHL. Sure, this isn’t the league’s call, but Hellebuyck returning to Winnipeg is dramatic television that would draw in an audience. His return is a big story, and the Devils taking that away from fans is not what the league is looking for as they try to draw in a bigger audience.
This is exactly the kind of thing that fans who already hate the push towards a more analytics-driven approach will hate. Mehta is known for crunching numbers, but this is that on an entirely different level.
Hellebuyck will speak to the media on Tuesday and address the fans about why he asked out of Winnipeg. That’s something, but it won’t appease Jets fans who would have loved to see their former Vezina-caliber netminder in goal.
Hellebuyck Isn’t Happy About the Decision
Hellebuyck says he’s “disappointed” he won’t be able to “face the music” in Winnipeg. “It’s out of my hands,” he told the media.
This makes the decision even more baffling. Are the Devils really using numbers to justify this decision? Or, do they somehow feel they are protecting their new asset from whatever awaits him in Winnipeg? There was a lot of chatter about threats towards the Hellebuyck family after the Olympics. Maybe the Devils are trying to avoid anything that could put Hellebuyck and his family in another uncomfortable position.
Devils Deny Hellebuyck Request to Play vs Jets: GM’s Reasoning Has Fans Fuming