Hellebuyck’s Winnipeg Return: 3 Big Losers in a No-Win Situation

Picture this. The moment the trade hit, a Jets fan saw the tweet, jumped online, and grabbed tickets to the Hellebuyck return game before prices went higher. A lot of people did the same. They weren’t just buying a hockey game. They were buying a revenge game. Big emotions, big noise, big night.

Then the Devils decided not to start him. It’s a lose-lose, and Elliotte Friedman laid out why pretty well.

Three Biggest Losers in the Hellebuyck Decision

First, Hellebuyck loses.

He’s said he loves Winnipeg, and by all accounts he wanted to stand in front of the media at morning skate and explain himself. He wanted a moment with those fans. But how do you do that when the people in the building are furious that he isn’t even in the crease? They’re not going to listen to a word. Whatever he says gets drowned out before he opens his mouth.

Second, the Devils lose.

Their reasoning was basically win probability. Friedman noted that some analytics people around the league kind of chuckle at that, since the model isn’t as magical as it’s made to sound. Whatever’s really going on behind the scenes, the organization stepped up and took the heat publicly, which is what a good organization does. But it still stings, because this was an unforced error. The team looks great right now, undefeated and airtight in front of their goalie, and instead of everyone talking about that, the conversation is about a goalie who isn’t playing.

Third, the Jets fans lose.

They paid big money for a night they’d been circling on the calendar. Now they get the game without the main character.

The Curtis Joseph Comparison Is Worth Remembering

Friedman compared it to Curtis Joseph going back to Toronto after leaving for Detroit in 2002-03. That game was on a Saturday night, and it kicked off a rocky stretch for Joseph in Detroit. Toronto fans were still sore about losing him and hadn’t warmed to his replacement yet. The lesson is that these return games are about closure, and when you deny people that, it lingers.

The frustrating part is that this could have been a clean, emotional night. Hellebuyck gets the ovation or the boos, says his piece, and everyone moves on. Instead, everyone goes home annoyed.

Sometimes there’s no good option, only different flavors of bad. This feels like one of those nights where you can see the problem a mile away, and nobody can do anything about it now.

Related: Connor Hellebuyck Had One Chance to Face Winnipeg. He Chose Not To