‘I hope they know I care about them’: Hellebuyck sends positive message to Jets fans
On Saturday morning in Newark, New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta introduced his new star goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, a bit under 24 hours after the news first started to break that Mehta had landed the disgruntled goalie in a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets.
Mehta had a lot to say about his process, philosophy on the goaltending position, and the work his front office did to facilitate the deal, but Hellebuyck struck a positive tone toward the fan base whose team he had just demanded out of after a 2025-26 season in which they missed the playoffs after claiming the Presidents’ Trophy the year prior.
“There’s a lot that I need to say,” Hellebuyck said. “But they have the [Heritage Classic] coming up. So out of respect for them and the celebration of hockey, I’m going to postpone that to a later date. I hope they know I care about them.”
Hellebuyck could have his first opportunity to play in front of the fans in Winnipeg when the Devils take on the Jets in Manitoba on November 10, but as Mehta shared during his availability, there has not been a plan put in place for Hellebuyck’s return to play. The 33-year-old has missed the entirety of training camp, the preseason and the regular season as he awaited a trade away from the Jets.
The Michigan native leaves Winnipeg as the most decorated player in this iteration of Jets hockey. He captured three Vezina Trophies as the top goalie in the NHL, and in 2025, he became the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy since Carey Price a decade earlier.
Hellebuyck backstopped Team USA to its first Olympic gold medal since 1980 last winter in Italy, putting together a performance for the ages in the gold medal game, an overtime win over Canada.
Given those accolades, it’s no surprise that Hellebuyck was clearheaded about what’s on his mind now that he’s gotten the trade he wanted.
“I’m here to win,” he said. “The only thing I’ve got left on my resume is a Stanley Cup. So seeing that these guys have kind of got their vision tight on that as well, it’s just going to fit perfectly.”
