Connor Hellebuyck could return to the Jets this week, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his teammates in Winnipeg will be happy to see him.
On Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman provided a surprising update on the superstar goalie’s status with the team after skipping training camp and being suspended by the team.
Friedman reported that, according to several sources, Hellebuyck’s suspension should be coming to an end on Friday, paving the way for a potential return to the ice for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Hellebuyck, who skipped the team’s training camp after requesting a trade this off-season, reportedly informed the Jets before their first game of the season that he intended to end his unexcused absence.
According to Article 15.13, subsection (c)(v) of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, “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.”
But with the goalie ending his self-imposed exile, the team seemingly has run out of leeway when it comes to “reasonable” punishment.
Of course, while the ban does end on Friday, the team could simply pay him to stay home – which is not a situation that hardly anyone would be happy about.
This could pave the way towards seeing the 2025 Hart Trophy winner back between the pipes after getting some reps in practice under his belt.
Will the Jets welcome back Connor Hellebuyck?
However, whether or not Hellebuyck will be welcomed back into the locker room with open arms remains to be seen after such a messy summer.
Jets captain Adam Lowry commented on the situation after news of the goalie’s suspension ending began to circulate.
“He’s a good friend of mine. Do I love the decision, do I love the way it’s dragged on? No. But we’ll handle the situation when it comes,” Lowry told reporters after Saturday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. “It’s unfair to speculate on what’s going to happen between now and Friday.”
However, Lowry added that “conversations” will need to be had upon the all-star goalie’s return.
“If he does show up, conversations are going to have to happen,” Lowry said. “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.”
Fellow Jets forward Scott Arniel also apparently was in no mood to discuss Hellebuyck’s potential return.
“I really don’t care right now on that scenario,” Arniel said. “That part falls on (GM Kevin Cheveldayoff). I’m going to face that when it happens.
“I don’t know what next week is going to look like. I’ve got 23 guys, all they care about is winning hockey games.”
Neither Cheveldayoff nor agent Ray Petkau have publicly commented on the situation.
Why does Connor Hellebuyck want a trade?
Hellebuyck has been one of the best goalies in the NHL throughout his career, not only winning three Vezina Trophies, but also taking home the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2025.
However, as the Jets have continually fallen short in the playoffs, Hellebuyck – who has played his entire 11-year career in Winnipeg – joined a growing trend of star players requesting trades despite being signed to long-term deals which include no-trade clauses.
While fellow U.S. Olympic gold-medal winner Brady Tkachuk got his wish from the Ottawa Senators and was dealt to Florida, both Hellebuyck and former Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin remain stuck with their current teams.
What is the Hellebucks website?
While many Jets fans were upset with Hellebuyck over his desire to skip town, one fan decided to poke some fun at the situation.
Robson Fletcher created the Hellebucks website when he began pondering just how much the goalie was throwing away with his holdout.
“I built it because I was kind of thinking about how much money he was giving up,” Fletcher said during a radio interview with 680 CJOB last week.
“It was meant to be funny, informative and just a little bit petty.”
According to the site, Hellebuyck has forfeited more than $788,000 US as of Monday morning.