By Reese Rankmore
Remember May of 2025? It was a simpler time. The Winnipeg Jets, fresh off a first-place regular season finish, made a miraculous comeback to beat the St Louis Blues in overtime in game seven. Even though it came crashing down against the Dallas Stars in the second round, star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck being awarded the Vezina and the Hart Trophy at the end of the season was a nice way to cap it off.
Imagine telling a Jets fan that just one year later, in May 2026, everything would be flipped upside down.
There were high expectations going into the 2025-2026 season, but after Hellebuyck missed time to get knee surgery early, things started to go downhill. The Jets were heading in the wrong direction, and Hellebuyck just wasn’t the same after his injury and surgery.
What should have been a nice break for fans was actually where everything really turned nasty – the Winter Olympics in February 2026. Hellebuyck was the starter for the United States men’s hockey team, who beat Canada in overtime for the gold medal (it still hurts to think about). He was back in prime form during the tournament, which made Jets fans wonder; where was this version of Connor Hellebuyck all season?
This wasn’t even the worst of it. Then, Donald Trump invited the men’s team to the White House, where all they laughed at the expense of the US women’s hockey team (who also won gold) and Trump just randomly decided to give Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Side note, Kyle Connor was on the US men’s team too and was one of the few players who chose not to go to the White House…in case you wanted to say “Hellebuyck had no choice!”
When Hellebuyck made it back to Winnipeg after his excursion to Washington DC, the season was all but over, and I’d say he was partly to blame. His play all season was not up to par, plus the whole Trump thing brought some unwanted attention to the whole team. He aired his frustrations in his end of season media availability and expressed concern about the future of the team, while neglecting to acknowledge that his poor play was absolutely part of the problem. His interview sparked a debate that became one of the top stories of the entire off-season, as fans and insiders speculated whether he wanted out of Winnipeg and what the Jets could get in a trade for him. The rumours picked up even more when insiders reported a deal that almost happened between the Jets and the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL Entry Draft, as well as when they signed Stuart Skinner in free agency.
Then, the bombshell dropped this August when, not long before training camp started, Connor Hellebuyck released a statement confirming that he had requested a trade at the end of the season and thanking the city for its support over his career. When training camp rolled around a few weeks later, Hellebuyck did not report, and the Jets subsequently suspended him for not fulfilling his contract. The fact that the Jets were going to be without their star goaltender and would have the drama of the situation hanging over their heads for the foreseeable future caused many to predict a poor season for the team, especially since their new goalie tandem was the previously questionable Stuart Skinner and the unproven Clay Stevenson.
To most people’s surprise, the team has started the season with a 4-1-2 record, the Connor-Vilardi-Scheifele trio is still incredible, Cole Perfetti seems to have finally reached his potential, and the power play is great. The best part is that the Skinner-Stevenson tandem has been lights-out. Connor Hellebuyck, who gave up on this team after one poor season, after signing a 7-year contract extension just 3 years ago where he was radiating with excitement for the future of this team, is sitting at home, not missed at all.
So, what come next? As of October 16th, he’s lost just under $675,000 (shoutout hellebucks.com). It’s clear that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff isn’t in any rush to ship him out, and this obviously isn’t impacting the play of the Jets. I think it’s safe to say he’s burned every bridge in Winnipeg and there’s no way he could come back. If I’m the Jets, I’d be in no rush to pull the trigger on a deal unless it blew my socks off, since the team is doing so well without him. If I was Connor Hellebuyck, I’d pull a Byfuglien and disappear forever.
