WINNIPEG – You wouldn’t expect a team that’s finished one day of training camp to be dealing with heartbreak so early in the preseason, but that’s the word Winnipeg Jets star Kyle Connor used to describe his feelings about star goaltender and good friend Connor Hellebuyck asking for a trade and not showing up to camp.
“Obviously the news is heartbreaking, being a teammate of his for so long,” said Connor as reporters gathered around him Thursday. “It’s tough, it feels like we had such a special group here and, for whatever reason, I can’t speak to the reason until we hear from the man. I’m not going to speculate on what it is, but I know that a lot of guys in that room are heartbroken.”
Hellebuyck was officially suspended by the team on Wednesday night after failing to report. The move was expected after the goaltender made his trade request public, putting out a statement confirming it back on Aug. 27.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff also spoke to the media Thursday, revealing details that were purely speculation up to this point – including the fact that Hellebuyck requested the trade during his exit meeting at the end of last season.
There’s no knowing how long the three-time Vezina winner is willing to sit out, but when asked about the organization’s timeline, Cheveldayoff made it clear that he’s not rushing into anything.
“This isn’t necessarily a time thing,” said Cheveldayoff. “For me, my obligation is to the Winnipeg Jets, the Winnipeg Jets players and the Winnipeg Jets fans. I guess, for me, I just want to get this right.”
Not only is Cheveldayoff trying to move a player who also has a Hart Trophy on his resume, he’s also moving a goaltender, which he described as a completely different type of trade than one involving positional players.
An approved trade list submitted by Hellebuyck’s camp is only as good as the number of teams on it that need a goaltender.
“We’re talking about moving a player that has been very, very important to this franchise, and is a very good player in the National Hockey League,” said Cheveldayoff. “And we expect, I guess, that a level of return would be commensurate to that.”
The 33-year-old Hellebuyck has five years left on the seven-year contract he signed back on Oct. 29, 2023. That length of contract, which has an average annual value of $8.5 million, paired with his resume, makes things even more difficult for Cheveldayoff when it comes to finding a trade that works for both sides.
“I can’t let emotion come into play in any regard,” said Cheveldayoff. “Connor Hellebuyck’s part of our family until he’s not part of our family.”
It’s been theorized that Hellebuyck signed his extension with the understanding that the Jets would remain competitive and that a verbal agreement was discussed between both parties at the time of the signing to accommodate a trade request from the goaltender if the team slipped.
Cheveldayoff was quick to squash that suggestion on Thursday.
“A contract is a contract in the National Hockey League. Period,” said Cheveldayoff. “There are no side agreements, there are no gentlemen’s agreements. The league doesn’t allow for that, so any notion around that
would not have any merit.”
As for a reunion with Hellebuyck if he has a change of heart? For Connor, it would largely depend on Hellebuyck’s intent behind that return.
“Come back and just play or come back and recommit to this organization? I think that’s the biggest question,” said Connor. “If he just comes back, I mean, that’s going to be a pretty tough situation to walk into, to be honest. For some reason, if he changes his mind and recommits here, obviously we’ll welcome him with open arms, and we still love the guy. It’s just a very tough situation.”
With or without Hellebuyck, training camp continues – along with a holdout from one of the best goaltenders in the National Hockey League.
