Connor Hellebuyck has a lot to say to the fans of the Winnipeg Jets, but that won’t be coming out just yet. “There’s a lot that I need to say, but they have the heritage game coming up. So out of respect for them and for the celebration of hockey, I’m going to postpone that to a later date,” said Hellebuyck during his opening news conference with the New Jersey Devils. “I hope they know I care about them.” Hellebuyck was introduced to the fans and media in New Jersey Saturday, a day after being traded from Winnipeg. The trade ended a tumultuous few months between Hellebuyck and the Jets that saw the three-time Vezina-winning goalie request out of Winnipeg in the off-season and eventually get suspended when he failed to show up for training camp. Now sporting his new Devils gear, Hellebuyck said he is excited to get back to playing hockey. “Sitting at home for so long was getting to me,” he said. “When you’re talking excitement here, I mean, there’s nothing to not be excited about. It’s a new chapter for my career and I’m really excited about the future.” Hellebuyck signed a seven-year deal with the Jets in 2023, which had a no-move clause as part of the contract. Asked why he was willing to waive that for New Jersey, he said the team feels like it has the ability to win the Stanley Cup. “I think you look for a few key factors. You look for the skill and the scoring, and they have that, and you look for some size on the back end, which they have, and you just look at how does that locker room mesh, and I haven’t been in the locker room long enough to know, so I can’t speak to that, but from what I hear, it’s awesome. Then you just look for an organization that’s willing to do whatever it takes, and I think they have that as well.” He was also asked about his time in Canada and how it will compare to now being able to play in the United States. The American goalie faced backlash following the winter Olympics after winning gold with the U.S. men’s team. Hellebuyck and the majority of his teammates visited the White House and President Donald Trump. Hellebuyck also received the presidential medal of freedom. This all happened during the beginning of a tense trade war between Canada and the United States, which featured plenty of defamatory rhetoric from Trump. Hellebuyck touched on the gold medal win and what it meant to him. “One of my favourite stories is where were you when? Someone will come and tell me this is what we were doing during that gold medal game and those are my favourite stories to hear. I know I’m going to get a lot more here than Canada because I don’t think they care so much about it,” he said. However, he notes he enjoyed playing hockey in Canada and the passion Canadian fans have for their hockey teams. “Canada loves their hockey and I felt that to the bone. I’ve loved my time there and I’ve loved the people that I’ve met. Made a lot of good friends and made a lot of good relationships there. So I can’t say one’s better than the other.” As for when Hellebuyck could make his debut with the Devils, he said he has been skating in Michigan “pretty hard” and feels ready. “Get on the ice and being prepared and ready; I feel I am. But getting into an NHL practice and at NHL speeds throughout a whole roster is going to be important. But I don’t think at this point in my career it’s going to take me long.”
