Olympic Hero Hellebuyck Confirms He Asked the Jets to Trade Him Months Ago
The three-time Vezina winner says he privately requested a trade back in the spring — and went public Thursday as his once-elite numbers slipped and Winnipeg's playoff hopes collapsed.
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Connor Hellebuyck confirmed Thursday that he privately asked the Winnipeg Jets to trade him months ago, ending years of speculation about his future with the only NHL team he's ever played for. "Several months ago, I privately requested a trade," Hellebuyck said in a statement released through the team, adding that he had "tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options," according to NHL.com.
The three-time Vezina Trophy winner, considered one of the best goaltenders of his generation and a gold medalist with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, said the decision was not made lightly. "Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career," he said, but "I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family."
A Rough Season Behind the Request
The timing lines up with a difficult stretch for both player and team. Hellebuyck missed time to injury last season and posted a career-worst .895 save percentage as the Jets underachieved and missed the playoffs entirely, according to ESPN. He is signed through 2031 on the eight-year, $59.5 million extension he inked with Winnipeg in October 2023, carrying an $8.5 million annual cap hit.
I GAVE EVERYTHING I HAD TO PROVE THE JETS MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.
The Jets organization responded with a statement of their own acknowledging the request rather than disputing it. "Connor has been open with us about his desire for a change," the team said, adding that he "has been an important part of the Winnipeg Jets organization for many years and we have tremendous respect for what he has accomplished here," per TSN.
With NHL training camps set to open September 16, the Jets now face a compressed timeline to find a trade partner willing to take on Hellebuyck's contract and cap hit, or to explore whether he'd be willing to compete for the starting job in Winnipeg one more season while a deal is worked out. Either way, one of the league's most decorated goaltenders enters camp on a franchise that no longer considers him a long-term piece.