Connor Hellebuyck says family safety concerns and career uncertainty drove his trade request from the Winnipeg Jets

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Connor Hellebuyck said his family’s safety and uncertainty about his future played a role in his decision to request a trade from the Winnipeg Jets at the end of last season, speaking Tuesday upon his return to Winnipeg at Canada Life Centre. The New Jersey Devils goalie said the decision developed over time rather than stemming from a single incident, and he described the trade request as tied to what he viewed as the needs of his family alongside uncertainty about his career path.

In his comments to Winnipeg media, Hellebuyck said there was “no one singular moment” that drove the request, characterizing it as an extended span of decision-making. He added that, amid the uncertainty he was experiencing, he felt certain moments involving his family “crossed the line,” and he said that, as a husband and father, those developments made him feel he needed to be “a good husband and a good father” and do what he believed was best for his family and his career.

Hellebuyck’s return to Winnipeg came after the Jets’ season ended without a qualification for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it marked his first address to Winnipeg media since an exit interview on April 17. At the time, he had already hinted that a change might be coming, eventually asking for a trade publicly in a statement dated Aug. 27.

When he went public with his request earlier in the offseason, Hellebuyck said he wanted to avoid damaging his relationship with the city and noted he was not looking to “project a few moments on an entire city.” He referenced concerns that went beyond online death threats and asked for privacy for himself and his family, while also saying there was “more” that made him and his family uncomfortable beyond career uncertainty, leading him to believe a change of scenery would be best.

Ahead of the Devils’ Tuesday game against the Jets, Hellebuyck did not start in goal against his former team, and the NHL.com account of the event attributes the decision to Devils coach Sheldon Keefe and general manager Sunny Mehta. In his remarks, Hellebuyck said he was “on a new team” and described his early time there as involving different ways of doing business than he had been used to in Winnipeg. He said he had a conversation with both the coach and Sunny and left that discussion understanding the situation and why New Jersey would make the decision they made, adding that he respected it.

Hellebuyck also declined to specify where he would sit during the game, while saying he was looking forward to the crowd’s reaction in Winnipeg. He stated he has experienced the game from the other side and expressed that he understands how the Jets’ fan base “cherish[es] their team,” saying he was prepared to embrace whatever energy the crowd brings.

The source account provides a detailed look at Hellebuyck’s Winnipeg tenure and accomplishments before his trade to New Jersey. Selected by the Jets in the fifth round (No. 130) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Hellebuyck spent 11 seasons in Winnipeg and finished with a record of 345-208-55. During that time he won the Vezina Trophy, the NHL’s award for the top goaltender, three times, specifically in 2019-20, 2023-24 and 2024-25, and he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 2024-25.

The NHL.com account also links the post-Olympics period to heightened scrutiny around Hellebuyck upon his return to the Canadian market. It notes that last season he helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, defeating Team Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold medal game. It further states that following those events, Hellebuyck went to the White House and attended Donald Trump’s State of the Union, where Trump said he would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In response to questions about whether Trump’s honour made him a target of Canadian fans, Hellebuyck acknowledged that it “sure” did “a little bit,” while saying he did not believe it mattered whether the situation was fair. He said he would not apologize for the accomplishments and would not speak negatively about them. He also said his life changed “in a very big way” after the Olympics, while adding that he had a good team around him and navigated his life in Winnipeg well.

Hellebuyck rejected framing the situation in terms of a border issue in the context of his decision-making. He said being an American playing in Canada could present difficulties, but that there were also positives, describing Canada as a “bizarre” hockey market and saying it is “incredible” to play in front of a hockey crowd. He stated that he enjoys both the Canadian and New Jersey markets and that he had enjoyed his time in both places.

The trade request and the eventual swap are outlined in the source timeline as well. After going public with his trade request, Hellebuyck did not report to Jets training camp in September and was suspended by Winnipeg. On Oct. 23, the day the suspension was set to expire, the Jets traded him to the Devils for forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, the rights to unsigned draft choice forward Alexander Command, New Jersey’s own second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft and its own seventh-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft.

New Jersey has received strong results from Hellebuyck since the trade, according to the NHL.com account. It lists his record with the Devils as 5-0-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage, and it notes he made 23 saves in a 4-0 win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Despite that form, he did not start against Winnipeg Tuesday, per the decision attributed to Keefe and Mehta.

The source also describes how Jets coach Scott Arniel reacted to the goaltending plan so close to the trade saga. It states Arniel hoped playing against Hellebuyck would bring closure, and he expressed disappointment with the process continuing. Hellebuyck responded to Arniel’s characterization that he “gave up” on Winnipeg, saying the comment hurt emotionally but that he understood the emotions surrounding a situation like this, including the relationships he has built over the years in Winnipeg.

Published at 4:03 p.m. ET on Nov. 10, 2026, the reporting situates Tuesday’s return as both a personal explanation of Hellebuyck’s motivations and a practical chapter in the ongoing NHL trade storyline between the Jets and the Devils. With Hellebuyck now a Devils player but facing Winnipeg again shortly after his trade, the decision not to start him ensured the focus of his media session remained on the reasons behind the request rather than the on-ice contest itself.