As the 2026-27 season approaches, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has officially come out and requested a trade.
After months of speculation, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has publicly requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets.
The 33-year-old released a statement that was posted on X by his agent, Ray Petkau, on Thursday, confirming that he formally submitted a trade request to the Jets "several months ago."
"With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request," Hellebuyck said in the statement. "My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.
"I appreciate everything Winnipeg Jets fans have meant to me throughout my career and hope a resolution can be reached soon"
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff later released a statement in response to the news through the team's X account.
"Connor has been open with us about his desire for a change," Cheveldayoff wrote. "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.
"While we will continue to work through the situation in a thoughtful manner, there is now update at this time."
Hellebuyck has been one of the game's most dominant netminders, winning three Vezina Trophies, a Hart Trophy, and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Although, he is coming off one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, putting together a 23-23-11 record with an .895 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average in 57 appearances.
A fifth-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Hellebuyck has spent all 11 seasons of his illustrious career with the Jets. Winnipeg made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven of those seasons, with their best finish coming in the 2017-18 season as they made it to the Western Conference Final before eventually losing in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Hellebuyck joins Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes on the list of U.S.-born players who have recently requested trades from their Canadian franchises.
The Michigan native is entering the third season of a seven-year contract that carries a cap hit of $8.5 million per season.
After winning the President's Trophy in 2024-25, the Jets fell out of the playoff picture for the first time in four years, missing by eight points.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
