New Jersey Devils
Connor Hellebuyck Had One Chance to Face Winnipeg. He Chose Not To
Connor Hellebuyck won’t play in his highly anticipated return to Winnipeg, and the Devils’ explanation isn’t convincing anybody.
With the New Jersey Devils coming out and saying Connor Hellebuyck will not be playing in his return game to Winnipeg, one thing is made crystal clear. Let’s be honest here: this decision falls on Connor Hellebuyck and Connor Hellebuyck alone.
It’s admirable that the Devils are trying to shield him with a statement about “reduced expected win probability,” but nobody actually believes that’s the reason. Not when Hellebuyck is 5-0 since arriving in New Jersey and coming off his first shutout with the team.
The reality is simple. Hellebuyck doesn’t want any part of returning to Winnipeg. He doesn’t want the boos and he doesn’t want the scrutiny. He doesn’t want to answer for the way things ended with the Jets. Instead, he’s choosing the easiest possible route by staying out of the crease altogether.
It’s an incredibly soft look for a player widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders of his generation.
If Hellebuyck truly wanted to play, he’d be playing. It’s that simple. Superstars get their way all the time in this league, especially when it comes to starting assignments. To suggest he desperately wanted this game but was overruled by everyone around him just doesn’t pass the smell test.
When you ask out during the second year of a seven-year contract, the least you can do is show up and face your former fanbase. Winnipeg fans have anticipated this game and deserved the opportunity to let him know exactly how they felt.
Instead, they’ll be left watching Jake Allen while Hellebuyck avoids the moment altogether.
The Organization’s Reasoning Doesn’t Add Up
The Devils’ explanation doesn’t make much sense either. The organization claimed starting Hellebuyck would reduce its expected win probability, which is a bizarre argument considering he’s arguably the best goaltender in hockey and hasn’t lost since arriving in New Jersey.
If maximizing win probability is truly the goal, then Hellebuyck should be the one playing. Starting anybody else would be the decision that lowers those odds.
The only alternative explanation is that the Devils believe this game would impact Hellebuyck mentally enough to affect his performance. If that’s really the concern, then what exactly did they trade for?
Some fans and media members have suggested New Jersey is simply saving him for more important divisional matchups. But that theory falls apart under even the slightest scrutiny.
Over his last five games, the only time Hellebuyck sat was against the New York Islanders, a divisional opponent. If preserving him for critical divisional contests is the priority, why wasn’t he playing that game instead?
The answer is because every explanation being offered feels like exactly what it is: an excuse.
A Terrible Organizational Look
The optics here are terrible. While Winnipeg fans pack the building for the game they’ve been anticipating since the trade, Hellebuyck will likely spend the night tucked away with the goalie coach instead of sitting and facing the reaction he knows is coming.
That’s what makes this whole situation so disappointing. This was an opportunity to give Jets fans a moment of closure. Instead, it feels like another attempt to avoid accountability for how his Winnipeg tenure ended.
Devils fans won’t care as long as the team keeps winning, and frankly, they shouldn’t. But for everyone else, this isn’t a great look for a player whose reputation was already taking hits before this decision.
On a night where Hellebuyck could have faced the music and shown some character, he’s doing the exact opposite. For many in Winnipeg, that will tell them everything they need to know.
Wayne Gretzky called the New Jersey Devils a “Mickey Mouse organization” back in 1983, and they are living up to that billing now once again.
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