Report: Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck’s suspension to end Oct. 23
According to a new report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets‘ team-imposed suspension on goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is slated to end on Oct. 23.
In a substantive update posted to the Sportsnet website on Saturday, Friedman revealed that Hellebuyck notified the Jets of his intention to return to the team shortly before the start of the 2026-27 regular season. The Jets previously suspended Hellebuyck without pay after he failed to report to the team’s 2026 training camp; the 33-year-old goaltender requested a trade out of Winnipeg in the offseason.
Under the terms of Article 15.13, subsection (c)(v) of the CBA, “if a Player who has not received permission to be absent from Training Camp returns to the Club, he shall be subject to a disciplinary suspension of reasonable length.” According to Friedman, that suspension is scheduled to expire next Friday.
“At that time, Hellebuyck would be able to rejoin the team. One possibility: the Jets pay him to stay at home,” Friedman wrote. “I don’t think that’s what anyone wants — not Hellebuyck, not the Jets, not the players, not the fans — but that’s where we could be next week, barring a trade. Neither Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff nor agent Ray Petkau would comment. More on this story as it develops, but that’s where we stand right now.”
Hellebuyck publicly confirmed his trade request in late August after months of widespread speculation. As a result of his suspension, he has already forfeited more than $720,000 of his $7.5 million salary for the 2026-27 season, according to popular fan-created website Hellebucks.com.
The Jets signed Hellebuyck to his current contract back in 2023. The 6’4″ goaltender is locked in through 2031 at an $8.5 million annual salary cap hit, and his deal also includes a full no-movement clause — something that has severely hindered the Jets as they attempt to fulfil his request.
A fifth-round pick (No. 130 overall) of Winnipeg in the 2012 NHL Draft, Hellebuyck has spent his entire professional career to date with the Jets organization. He is a three-time winner of the Vezina Trophy, awarded each year to the NHL’s top goaltender; he also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP in 2025.
In 57 games with the Jets in the 2025-26 regular season, Hellebuyck posted a 23-23-11 record and an .895 save percentage; he also helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In seven games without Hellebuyck in 2026-27, the Jets currently rank fourth in the Central Division with a 4-1-2 record.
