Winnipeg Jets players are preparing for difficult conversations should star goalie Connor Hellebuyck rejoin them next week when his suspension is expected to end.
Hellebuyck is a former NHL MVP and three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the league's top goaltender. He also backstopped the U.S. men's hockey team to Olympic gold this year. He was suspended after failing to report to training camp, having requested a trade from the team. "I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family," the 33-year-old goalie said in a statement last month.
Sportsnet reported Saturday that Hellebuyck's suspension is expected to end Friday, making him eligible to rejoin the team. The NHL CBA states that an unexcused absence from training camp will result in "a disciplinary suspension of reasonable length." More significantly, he would start getting paid again: Hellebuyck has lost over $700,000 in salary during his suspension.
Messages to the Jets and Hellebuyck's agent were not returned.
There are several scenarios that could play out in the next week. Hellebuyck could be traded or the Jets could pay him but ask that he remain away from the team. Hellebuyck could also return to their dressing room with an eye on playing, having not appeared in an NHL game since April 13.
During training camp, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff didn't shut down talk that Hellebuyck could rejoin the team.
"No doors are closed. He's a player that's under contract for five years. But at the end of the day, that's his choice," Cheveldayoff said.
If he returns, Jets captain Adam Lowry said there will be some difficult discussions between the players and the goalie who abandoned them.
"If he does show up, there are going to have to be conversations. There's going to have to be one of those 'water under the bridge' things. We're a team, regardless of who's in the room," Lowry said after the Jets' 3-2 loss to Carolina on Saturday.
Lowry said he's good friends with Hellebuyck, having been teammates for the entirety of the goalie's 12-year NHL career.
"Do I love the decision? Do I love the way it's dragged on? No. But we'll handle the situation when it comes. Obviously, we're disappointed with the outcome. He's one of the best goalies in the world," Lowry said.
The captain said the Jets' focus has been on their season -- they're 4-2-2 through eight games -- but acknowledged that their lineup has been impacted by the Hellebuyck situation.
"We come here and focus on the group we have here. Guys are excited to be here. Guys are excited to play for the Jets. We come with the mindset that we want to win a Stanley Cup here. We don't really focus on the stuff that's out of our control," he said. "Obviously, it's a big piece in our lineup missing. Whether it's assets or whether it's the player themselves."
Winger Kyle Connor declined to comment Saturday on Hellebuyck's possible return, having previously called the trade request "heartbreaking" for him as a teammate.
But Jets coach Scott Arniel said his focus isn't on who might be coming back to the roster, but what games are ahead for the players who are currently on it.
"I'm going to face that one when it happens," Arniel said of Hellebuyck's situation. "I don't know what next week is going to look like. At the end of the day for me, I've got 23 guys and all they care about is winning hockey games. So, my preparation and my thoughts are on that. I'm not worrying about who's here and who's not here."
Hellebuyck has five seasons left on the seven-year, $59.5 million contract he signed with the Jets in 2023. He has a full no-movement clause this season that turns into a modified no-trade clause next summer. The Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes have been mentioned as potential suitors for Hellebuyck.