Connor Hellebuyck will not start in his return to Winnipeg on Tuesday and it appears he will likely not be in sight of fans during the game either.
The New Jersey Devils announced Sunday that Hellebuyck would not start against the Jets, with general manager Sunny Mehta citing a “reduction in our expected win probability” as the reason for resting the team’s new star.
Hellebuyck is expected to dress as Jake Allen’s backup on Tuesday and take to the ice for warmups, but that may be the only time the crowd at the Canada Life Centre sees him.
TSN’s Danielle Bain notes that, because of limited space, backup goaltenders in Winnipeg typically sit near the Zamboni tunnel instead of on their team’s bench, but Hellebuyck has always practised a different routine. Throughout his career, the netminder has remained in his team’s locker room when serving as a backup or when pulled from a game.
Therefore, if he holds true to habit, Hellebuyck will be out sight - though, surely not out of mind - of the crowd in Winnipeg Tuesday.
Hellebuyck improved to 5-0-0 as a member of the Devils with a 4-0 shutout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has solidified the team’s shaky play in goal, posting a .913 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average.
Allen has a 6-3-0 record with a .881 save percentage and a 3.20 goals-against average this season, while Nico Daws - who was moved in the Hellebuyck trade last month - was 2-2-0 with a .872 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA while with the Devils.
“This has been an organizational decision for us that we’ve debated at length. Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play on Tuesday in Winnipeg,” said Mehta. “However, in our estimation, playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability. Even though Connor isn’t playing, at his request, we will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre.”
Following the shutout win over the Leafs, Hellebuyck said he was disappointed he won’t be able to “face the music” in Winnipeg, saying it is “out of my hands.”
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe cited workload for the reason why Hellebuyck isn’t playing Tuesday.
“From our perspective, when you zoom out, this is a goaltender that is not going to play every single game of the season. You’re always looking for times to give him a night off,” explained Keefe.
The Devils and Hellebuyck will have a media availability following the morning skate on Tuesday when the 33-year-old American will address why he requested a trade out of Winnipeg this off-season.
The goaltender’s previous statement on his reasoning was laid out in a statement he posted to social media:
“There were several considerations that went into my decision, including some very challenging circumstances involving my family. After a lot of thought and discussion, we ultimately felt that making a change was the best thing for our family.”
Hellebuyck, who lead the United States to Olympic gold last winter at Milano Cortina 2026, told the Jets he wanted out of Winnipeg at the end of last season despite having five seasons remaining on the seven-year, $59.1 million contract he signed in October of 2023.
He was first suspended by the organization in September for failing to show up for training camp and then handed a three-week suspension to start the campaign, being dealt on the day the suspension was set to end.
The Devils sent prospect Alexander Command, who was just drafted 12th overall in June, forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, Daws, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick all to Winnipeg in the Oct. 23 blockbuster.
Selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Hellebuyck spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Winnipeg
Over 625 regular-season games in Winnipeg, Hellebuyck had a 345-208-55 record alongside a 2.58 goals-against average and .916 save percentage with 45 shutouts.
Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie in 2020, 2024 and 2025 as well as the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2025.