- Kyle Connor says a lot of Jets are heartbroken over Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request
- Winnipeg suspended Hellebuyck on Wednesday night for failing to report to camp
- Read below for what Connor said about welcoming Hellebuyck back
The Jets opened training camp Thursday without their franchise goalie, and Kyle Connor did not dress it up.
Connor was asked about Connor Hellebuyck’s absence just hours after Winnipeg suspended the goaltender for failing to report.
“As a player, all you can do is kind of deal with what’s in front of you. Obviously, the news is heartbreaking being a teammate of his for so long. It’s tough, it feels like we had such a special group here and for whatever reason, I can’t speak to the reason until we hear from the man. I’m not going to speculate on what it is, but I know that a lot of guys in that room that are heartbroken.”
Watch Connor’s full media availability from day one of camp:
Reporters also asked what a reunion would look like if Hellebuyck changed his mind. Connor said it depends entirely on why he walked back through the door.
“If he just comes back, I mean, that’s going to be a pretty tough situation to walk into, to be honest. For some reason, if he changes his mind and recommits here, obviously we’ll welcome him with open arms, and we still love the guy.”
Kevin Cheveldayoff met the media the same day and knocked down the theory that Hellebuyck had a side deal letting him ask out if Winnipeg slipped. The GM also said there is no clock on a trade.
Hellebuyck has five years left on the seven-year, $59.5 million deal he signed in October 2023. He leads every major franchise goaltending category in Winnipeg, including 345 wins, a .916 save percentage and 45 shutouts, and he won the Hart and Vezina in 2024-25.
That group is why Connor signed an eight-year, $96 million extension last October. Hellebuyck being in the crease was part of the call, though Connor made clear it was not the whole thing.
“When I was thinking about the decision and ultimately decided to sign here, I couldn’t picture myself trying to battle for a Stanley Cup for a city or another group of guys.”
Scott Arniel talked about the same thing from the coach’s chair after the second session.
“As a coach, you lose one of your key pieces, it’s hard. But we also have to move forward. We have to move forward. It is what it is. We’ve got 50 guys in camp right now that I gotta focus in on.”
Take a look at Arniel’s session:
Stuart Skinner, signed to a two-year deal on July 1, is the one taking Hellebuyck’s reps in the meantime.
