‘It’s not us saying we don’t want anything to do with him anymore’: Jets’ Arniel on potential Hellebuyck return

The Winnipeg Jets might not be totally done with Connor Hellebuyck, but they now face a time crunch amid his demands to be traded out of the Canadian city. 

According to reports, Hellebuyck told the Jets on Oct. 2 that he planned to end his holdout, but the Jets suspended him for three weeks as allowed under the CBA. That team suspension ends Friday, and it is unclear where he and the club stand heading into the next stage of the drawn-out ordeal. 

“We’re not sure what the next play is going to be,” head coach Scott Arniel said Monday, as the Jets returned to practice following Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

“Things will play themselves out, and we’ll have a lot more answers for you… when that time arrives. I’m not running away from anything. Until he shows up here, or whatever may happen, or a trade happens, or whatever that is, it’s hard to talk about.”

While frustrations ran high after the loss to the Hurricanes and many players, including fellow USA Olympic champion Kyle Connor, deflected questions on the topic when asked by local reporters, the goalie could still return to the team. 

At least Arniel isn’t shutting that idea down, thwarting assumptions of mutiny between the parties, as he prepares for Hellebuyck to return to the locker room, which would allow him to start getting paid again.  

“I don’t think our whole group is saying ‘Oh, we don’t want you.’ There are some things that have happened on the outside that have probably built that narrative,” Arniel added, according to Sportsnet’s Jeff Hamilton. “There’s none of us saying that right now. It’s not us saying we don’t want anything to do with him anymore. We’re really just trying to see how this plays out.”

Friday’s anticipated reception could bring awkward scenarios, but it likely doesn’t mean Hellebuyck is ready to step back into Winnipeg’s crease, even if his trade demands haven’t waned. Instead, an AHL conditioning stint may be possible, and the team could look to avoid a circus heading into the Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. 

Without Hellebuyck, the Jets have played both Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevensen between the pipes this season, and sit atop the Wild Card standings with a 4-2-2 record through eight games.