This Week in the NHL: Hellebuyck returns to Winnipeg (on the bench)
With 32 teams, games every night and countless narratives emerging, the NHL season can make one’s head spin, and it’s easy to miss out on the weekly storylines. Not to worry; every Monday from October to April, I’ll map out the major events, games, plotlines and milestones on tap for the next seven days.
So what’s happening the week of Nov. 9-16?
Nov. 9: Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony
The Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026; Patrice Bergeron, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Keith Tkachuk in the player category and Brian Burke in the builder category. They’ll officially be enshrined Monday in Toronto and will look back on their careers in their speeches.
Nov. 10: Connor Hellebuyck ‘returns’ to Winnipeg
New Jersey Devils @ Winnipeg Jets, 7:00 p.m. ET
The Devils only acquired Hellebuyck on Oct. 23, and it turns out their lone visit to Winnipeg this season comes just 17 days later. Hellebuyck is arguably the greatest player in Jets/Thrashers franchise history, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and Hart Trophy winner. He cited “challenging family circumstances” as a reason why he requested a trade out of Winnipeg, hinting at the aftermath of his 2026 Olympic gold medal win in which he and his family allegedly received threats. Will the Canada Life Centre faithful give him a warm welcome, or is the wound too fresh? Whatever happens, it’ll go down with him riding the pine, as the Devils announced Sunday night that Hellebuyck would not start against Winnipeg due to the team believing it would lower their expected win probability. OK, then.
Nov. 12 & 14: NHL Global Series arrives in Finland
The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will tangle at Helsinki’s Veikkaus Arena for games on Thursday and Saturday. They mark the 12th and 13th NHL games hosted by Finland, the second most of any non north-American country. Among the Finnish players we could see competing this week on their home soil: Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Juuso Valimaki for the Canes and Kaapo Kakko, Jani Nyman and Ville Ottavainen for the Kraken.
As a bonus: Taylor Hall, back from an injury layoff, will hit the 1,000 game mark Thursday in Game 1 of the Global Series. The 2010 first overall pick has a Stanley Cup, Hart Trophy and 793 points through 999 games.
Nov. 14: Brent Burns’ 1,600th game
Colorado Avalanche @ Montreal Canadiens, 7:00 p.m. ET
It’s a big milestone year for Burns. He’s hoping to break Phil Kessel’s ironman record later this season. Burns will also complete 2026-27 as a top-10 scorer in NHL history among defensemen. But first: career game No. 1,600. He’ll become the 14th player to reach that number and just the sixth blueliner.
Jamie Benn’s 1,000th point
It has been more than a decade since Benn’s peak as an Art Ross Trophy winner, Olympic gold medallist and elite power forward. But he has soldiered on as a veteran leader for the Dallas Stars and now sits second in franchise history behind only Hall of Famer Mike Modano in goals and points. Benn, 37, opens the week just one point short of 1,000 for his career, with Dallas slated for three games. Hitting that benchmark and perhaps nabbing that elusive Stanley Cup could push Benn’s resume to the Hall of Fame bubble.
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