One major storyline to hit over the weekend was the New Jersey Devils’ announcement that Connor Hellebuyck would not play on Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
The matchup would have marked Hellebuyck’s return to Winnipeg following the trade that saw him leave town. As has been one of the biggest talking points has been the lack of transparency regarding the 33-year-old’s reasons for wanting to leave the Jets. And while previous pieces have speculated about the reasons for Hellebuyck’s trade request here on Heavy, there is no “official” word on why that’s the case.
According to a piece by insider Chris Johnston in The Athletic, the Devils will make Hellebuyck available to the media on Tuesday, when he will be expected to address the reasons for his trade request.
Now, it’s unclear how much Connor Hellebuyck will actually say, if much at all. One has to think that there could be any number of reasons why the three-time Vezina Trophy winner requested a trade. As such, he could say some potentially damaging things for the Jets. While the Jets themselves can’t stop, and shouldn’t stop, Hellebuyck from speaking, the situation, nonetheless, should only get more tense in the next couple of days.
Jets Fans Won’t See Much of Connor Hellebuyck
Perhaps the most disappointing situation of all for Jets fans won’t be seeing Connor Hellebuyck on the ice. The expectation would be that he play, giving his former team a chance at some sort of retribution.
However, as Jets beat reporter Mike McIntyre noted, fans won’t be seeing much of Hellebuyck on Tuesday night.
Connor Hellebuyck’s typical custom is to sit in the room with the goalie coach during nights in which he doesn’t play. As such, he isn’t even on the bench during the game.
So, there’s a very good chance that Hellebuyck won’t even come out for warmups. And, frankly, one can’t blame the Devils for wanting to be extra careful with Connor Hellebuyck. If any of the rumors surrounding the reasons for his exit are even remotely true, New Jersey would rather not have their starting goalie face the heightened scrutiny in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Winnipeg Will Have to Wait for Closure
Perhaps the major reason for a player’s return game following a major trade is closure. The player, fans, and organizations have a chance to move on following a trade. A good example of that this season was Brady Tkachuk’s return to Ottawa following his trade to the Florida Panthers.
The Senators fans got to boo Tkachuk and then celebrate when the Senators beat the Panthers on that night.
That’s something that Jets fans will have to wait with Connor Hellebuyck. The fact that he won’t play in his first game in Winnipeg following the deal, while temporarily diffusing the situation for New Jersey, should only make the animosity grow.
Ultimately, the only real thing fans can do at this point is wait and see what Hellebuyck has to say at his media availability Tuesday. While closure may be not by any closer following that appearance, at least there could be a little more clarity into the situation.
Connor Hellebuyck to Reveal Reasons for Trade Request