The saga involving goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets came to a head on Tuesday evening when the New Jersey Devils traveled to Manitoba for a matchup at Canada Life Centre, but the Devils chose not to start Hellebuyck, giving veteran Jake Allen the starting responsibilities instead.
But that didn’t stop Jets fans from serenading Hellebuyck with multiple chants and heavy booing throughout the game, starting the moment that he stepped onto the ice for the pregame warm-up.
Hellebuyck, who spoke before the game and clarified his decision to seek a trade from the Jets in part owing to incidents that “crossed the line” involving his family, reportedly initially requested to be moved to the Florida Panthers, according to the latest report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman: Former Winnipeg Jets Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck Initially Wanted To Be Moved To The Panthers
According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Hellebuyck initially requested to be moved to the Florida Panthers on the latest edition of the “32 Thoughts” podcast.
“When Hellebuyck initially told the Jets he wanted to be traded, he said, ‘I want to be traded to Florida.’ And it was about the direction of the team,” Friedman said.
He continued:
“But again, whatever bothered him didn’t come up. Later, when things weren’t going the way that he wanted them to go and he hadn’t been traded yet, that’s when he brought it up. But on the other side, there’s the Jets. And they’re like, ‘Really? Now? You’re telling us this now, months later?’ And they were skeptical about it. They were like, ‘Now you’re just bringing other things into it that you didn’t tell us before.’”
“So in Hellebuyck’s mind, he was doing the right thing, and he was protecting his family. And he did want to be traded. The Jets were like, ‘No, this isn’t right. If this was really the issue, you should have told us that from the start.’”
So this whole thing about what happened when and what really was a factor, that’s why I think we got to that point. Hellebuyck wanted to leave it out, and the Jets were upset it wasn’t on the table from the beginning. And everybody out there can decide how they feel about that. It’s pretty much over now, really. But that’s what I think happened.”
So far, since being traded to the Devils, Hellebuyck is undefeated with a 5-0 record, a 1.96 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage with a shutout.
Connor Hellebuyck Said There Were Incidents With His Family That Crossed The Line
During a press conference before hitting the ice in Winnipeg, Hellebuyck said that he’s not going to let the incidents that he was referring to impugn the reputation of the entire community.
“I’m not going to project a few moments on the entire city,” Hellebuyck said. “I’ve been very connected with this community. I’ve loved my time here. But there are a few moments that I don’t want to see happen again.”
“I needed to be a good husband and a good father and do what’s best for me and my family and my career,” Hellebuyck said.
Elliotte Friedman Reveals New Twist In Connor Hellebuyck Jets Saga