‘We will continue to work through the situation’: Jets respond to Hellebuyck trade request

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (sort of) shocked the hockey world on Thursday when he released a statement officially confirming his trade request, and it was only a matter of time before the the team responded with their own words on the situation.

It took less than two hours for that to happen, as Jets’ general manager and executive vice president Kevin Cheveldayoff released a statement on the matter in the early evening of Thursday.

“Connor has been open with us about his desire for a change,” Cheveldayoff said in the statement. “He has been an important part of the Winnipeg Jets organization for many years and we have tremendous respect for what he has accomplished here. While we will continue to work through the situation in a thoughtful manner, there is no update at this time.”

At this point in time, it’s unclear what Hellebuyck’s status is with the team entering training camp. There’s no indication that he won’t show up to training camp or will refuse to play with the team if they fail to trade him prior to the start of the regular season.

Hellebuyck’s trade request wasn’t a big surprise after he had plenty of noncommittal language about the team during his locker room cleanout interview in April. His name was floated around in several trade rumours with teams like the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes in the summer, but nothing ever came to fruition.

This likely ends a relationship between Hellebuyck and the Jets which lasted 11 seasons, with Hellebuyck first playing for the team in 2015-16 after they drafted him in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft. In 625 games with the club, he has a 345-208-55 record with a .916 save percentage and 45 shutouts, as well as a 24-34 record, .903 SV% and five shutouts in 58 playoff games. His stats lead all goalies in the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers’ franchise history in both the regular season and the playoffs, and he sits 27th all time in wins and 16th in SV% among goalies with at least 300 games played.

Hellebuyck is also well decorated from an individual standpoint, winning three Vezina Trophies in 2019-20, 2023-24 and 2024-25, winning the Hart Trophy as well in the 2024-25 season, along with winning a gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics with the United States.

However, Hellebuyck is coming off of his worst season at the NHL level, as along with missing 12 games due to an arthroscopic knee surgery, he had his first season with a SV% below .900, finishing the year at .895 along with a 23-23-11 record in 57 games. That said, he still showed up when he was needed at the Olympics, going 5-0-0 with a .956 SV% in the gold medal win with the US.

Hellebuyck has five years remaining on a seven-year contract with an $8.5 million cap hit.