Once considered the franchise player for the Winnipeg Jets, Connor Hellebuyck has tarnished his relationship with the organization through his trade request and absence from training camp. If the team cannot find a trade, has he inflicted enough damage to be beyond repair?
The Winnipeg Jets announced Wednesday that they have suspended goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp, escalating a standoff that has quickly reshaped his relationship with the organization, the players, and Jets fans.
Several team members, along with the GM, addressed the news Thursday, showing this has become, frankly, uncomfortable.
GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke with the press in a much-anticipated media availability. It was time to address the elephant in the room. Hellebuyck wasn’t coming to camp, and while they played it off as “procedural,” the Jets were sending a message with his suspension. Cheveldayoff followed that up with a clear statement that the team has no intention of altering its stance on the goaltender’s contract.
Even a rumored handshake deal that the organization would try to accommodate an unhappy Hellebuyck was shot down. “A contract is a contract in the National Hockey League. Period. There are no side agreements, the league doesn’t allow for that, so any notion around that would not have any merit.”
Cheveldayoff was asked about his conversations with Hellebuyck, both during his extension negotiations and after the trade request went public. He noted that he wasn’t given a heads-up that the player and his agent would release a statement, but he didn’t seem shocked when it was posted.
However, nothing has changed from the Jets’ perspective, as the GM doubled down on Winnipeg's desire to remain competitive and stood firm on the team's position. A trade has to make sense; otherwise, they’re unlikely to make it.
Why Does Hellebuyck Want Out?
Cheveldayoff was asked whether he knew why Hellebuyck had requested a trade and didn’t report to camp.
“There’s probably a lot of whys, and unfortunately, the situation is what it is,” said the Jets GM of 15 years.
One report said Hellebuyck and his family received threats after the Olympics. It appears that much is true.
"What they endured, they shouldn't have had to," Cheveldayoff said, revealing that the team's security staff and police were involved to some degree in response to the online vitriol. He said he couldn't speak to how much of a role that has played in the current standoff.
Other reasons weren’t offered up.
As far as trading the goaltender goes, Cheveldayoff didn’t want to label the offers as terrible, but he did note that it's been challenging.
"I don't ever want to disparage an offer from a manager as terrible. Terrible is probably not the right word. What we have to understand here is we're talking about moving a player that's very important to this franchise and is a very good player in the National Hockey League. We expect a level of return that's commensurate to that."
Is There Any Way Hellebuyck Could Return?
What if he can’t be traded? Cheveldayoff left the door open to a future with Hellebuyck in Winnipeg.
"No doors are closed," he said. "He's a player that's under contract for five years. At the end of the day, that'll be his choice."
When asked directly whether he believes Hellebuyck could play for the Jets again, Cheveldayoff added, "Connor Hellebuyck is part of our family until he's not part of our family."
Unfortunately, not everyone shares the GM's optimism.
Forward Kyle Connor didn't mince words when describing the situation.
"It's heartbreaking," Connor said, adding that he tried to talk Hellebuyck out of his decision but respects that it's ultimately his to make. "I believe in that group, this management, and this city... I couldn't picture myself trying to battle for a Stanley Cup for a city or with another group of guys."
Connor was also asked about what a potential Hellebuyck return might look like.
"Come back and just play, or come back and re-commit to this organization — I think that's the biggest question," Connor said. "If he just comes back, I mean, that's gonna be a pretty tough situation to walk into, to be honest. For some reason, if he changes his mind and re-commits here, obviously we'll welcome him with open arms, and we still love the guy. It's just a very tough situation."
On one hand, it sounds like nothing is ever too far gone to be repaired. Cheveldayoff doesn’t seem to be holding his breath that this situation will change, but he’s not ruling it out.
Meanwhile, Hellebuyck seems determined to start fresh somewhere else, and he’s willing to lose around $39,000 a day to get what he wants. Meanwhile, his teammates are trying to support his decision, but they’ve cautioned him against what he’s doing. It didn’t work. Now, it’s tough to imagine everyone putting it all behind him if Hellebuyck wanted to come back.
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