Hellebuyck sidelined, creating a golden chance for hot prospect Milic to seize the net and potentially debut Friday.
The Winnipeg Jets were dealt a stunning blow Thursday as it was reported by insider Darren Dreger that superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks after undergoing a minor arthroscopic knee procedure.
The news sends shockwaves through a Jets team that has leaned heavily on Hellebuyck’s brilliance during back-to-back Vezina Trophy seasons and his reigning Hart Trophy campaign. Dreger noted that his sources told him Hellebuyck was dealing with the issue for some time and that the team has decided to help him recover from the injury rather than allowing it to continue playing a factor.
Hellebuyck, 31, has been in peak form over the past two years, assembling a remarkable 84-31-7 record with a 2.19 GAA and .923 save percentage across 123 appearances. His absence leaves a massive void for a Jets squad with playoff aspirations and creates an unexpected opportunity for one of hockey’s fastest-rising young netminders.
In a corresponding move, Winnipeg has recalled Thomas Milic, the red-hot 22-year-old goaltender from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, who is now poised to make his NHL debut Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Milic has been nothing short of sensational this season, posting a 5-2-2 record, one shutout, and a .921 save percentage through nine games. He arrives riding a four-game winning streak, solidifying himself as one of the top early-season stories in the AHL. His season goals-against average sits at an impressive 2.14, and his overall body of work in the AHL, 29-23-8 with a 2.88 GAA, has marked him as one of hockey’s most underrated young goalies.
A 2023 fifth-round pick (151st overall), Milic has played 63 AHL games and an additional 36 in the ECHL with Norfolk during his early pro career. Long viewed as a gamer on big stages, Milic famously backstopped Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championship, where he went 5-0-0 with a 1.76 GAA and .932 save percentage, helping lead the nation to gold.
Born in New Westminster, B.C., Milic has earned praise for his poise, technical polish, and ability to rise under pressure, traits the Jets will now urgently rely upon.
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