- Connor Hellebuyck starts for the Devils tonight in Dallas
- Sheldon Keefe says the morning skate was the final checkpoint
- Read below for what Keefe said about getting Hellebuyck into a rhythm
Connor Hellebuyck is making his Devils debut tonight.
New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Tuesday that the goalie starts against the Stars (8 p.m. ET), four days after the blockbuster trade that sent him out of Winnipeg. Hellebuyck was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate.
Keefe was asked whether Hellebuyck was set to go after just one practice with his new team.
“He is going tonight,” Keefe said. “He’s eager to go. He feels like he’s ready to go.”
Here’s the Devils’ own announcement:
Keefe explained why the Devils aren’t waiting around. Hellebuyck hasn’t played an NHL game since the Jets’ regular-season finale on April 13, and the schedule leaves no room for practice time.
“There’s no practice time available,” Keefe said. “That’s just the reality of the schedule where we’re at. So get him in, and you try to get him in a rhythm and get him going. To that end, no reason to wait.”
The Devils (7-4-0) open a three-game road trip in Dallas, then visit the Avalanche on Wednesday and the Golden Knights on Friday. Jake Allen covered the net while Hellebuyck skated on his own, including in Saturday’s win over the Kings.
Hellebuyck said Monday he was ready to play right away. He spent weeks skating in Michigan after the Jets suspended him for skipping training camp.
The 33-year-old owns 345 career wins, third among active goalies behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy. He also has three Vezina Trophies and the 2025 Hart.
Tonight he gets his first look at what Keefe called a “long track record of success” in a Devils sweater.
