For the first few weeks of the regular season, the Winnipeg Jets have been able to keep the noise surrounding Connor Hellebuyck at arm’s length, letting their play do the talking.
But with reports emerging Saturday that Hellebuyck’s suspension is set to end this Friday, the clock is ticking on a storyline that the Jets can no longer avoid.
“All I’m going to say is that we want guys that want to be here,” Cole Perfetti said after practice on Monday. “If [Hellebuyck] comes back and shows that he wants to be a part of this, and recommits to this group, then that’s obviously good news.”
There’s no clear answer on what will happen when the suspension ends on Friday, but head coach Scott Arniel said those decisions are left up to management. With such a unique situation, there aren’t many past examples for the Jets to look to.
“It’s all unknown right now for all of us,” Arniel said after practice. “Chevy’s handling that, he’s dealing with that stuff…until [Hellebuyck] shows up here, or whatever may happen, or a trade happens, or whatever that is, it’s hard to talk about.”
The Jets’ players have maintained a fairly united stance on the situation since hockey resumed. As Kyle Connor mentioned during training camp, it’s the intent behind a potential return that matters most.
Arniel put rumours to rest on Monday that there’s a sentiment throughout the room that no one wants Hellebuyck to return.
“I don’t think our whole group is saying, ‘Oh, we don’t want you,’” Arniel said. “There’s some things that have happened on the outside that have probably built that narrative…there’s none of us saying that right now.”
“It’s not us saying we don’t want anything to do with him anymore,” added Arniel. ”We’re really just trying to see how this plays out.”
Arniel also credited the Jets’ leadership group with helping everyone navigate the noise and uncertainty. Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry has been vocal since day one about avoiding speculation, especially with so many what-ifs still in play.
“Do I love the decision? Do I love the way it’s dragged on? No,” Lowry said after the Jets’ 3-2 loss to Carolina on Saturday. “But we’ll handle the situation when it comes.
“It’s unfair to speculate on what’s going to happen between now and Friday. I think if he does show up, there’s going to be conversations. There’s going to have to be one of those ‘water under the bridge’ things. We keep moving forward. We’re a team, regardless of who’s in the room.”
That approach has kept the storyline in limbo, but with Friday looming, it’s become a hot topic of conversation.
“It’s definitely in the air – people are talking about it, but we’ve done a pretty good job so far in our group of blocking out all noise,” Perfetti said. “There have been other things that you got to block out all the time, every year, and I think this group, to start the season, has done a great job of that.”
Without the three-time Vezina Trophy winner on the ice with them, the Jets have still managed a 4-2-2 start, keeping themselves competitive in the Central Division.
“We have two massive opponents coming up this week, so that’s our focus right now,” Perfetti added. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there and we’re just worried about getting four points on this road trip.”
Those four points will be up for grabs against two divisional opponents: the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday and the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Both games will be available to watch for viewers in the Jets region on TSN3 at 7 p.m. CT.