Connor bypasses White House, returns to Winnipeg ice. Meanwhile, Hellebuyck heads to D.C. for a presidential meeting.
Winnipeg Jets' star forward Kyle Connor has opted to boycott the United States Olympic Team's invite for a visit to the White House.
On Tuesday morning, Connor stepped onto the ice at the hockey for all centre just outside Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway, shedding the red, white and blue for the more familiar Polar Night Blue colour palette associated with the Jets.
Photo by Geoff Burke/USA Today He took part in the team's second skate since the Winter Olympic gold medal game on Sunday morning.
"I'm just getting ready to play on Wednesday," Connor said following the team practice.
"We have a big second half so I just wanted to make sure I was ready."
As per the NHL's CBA, all players are to be made available to their teams two days following their final game in the Olympic tournament.
Connor touched down in Miami with his American teammates on Monday night prior to some of the gold medal winner attending a well-documented party at Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale.
Connor's decision to fly directly back to Winnipeg while other Team USA fold - Jets teammates and fellow Michigan product Connor Hellebuyck included - head to Washington D.C. to meet with President Trump and his staff.
The Americans have already come under fire through the widespread sharing of a video during the team celebration on Sunday to which President Trump can be heard joking about being "forced" to invite the gold medal-winning women's USA team to the Whitehouse as well, or else may "lose his job."
"I don't really have any thoughts on that," Connor said of the President's message. "There's so many things happening. We just won the gold medal and things are going on so I don't really remember what he said. It's such a whirlwind, just celebrating."
The women's team has since declined the invitation, citing team schedules and work priorities. Players on the men's expecting to attend the event will possibly end up missing time with their NHL club - a breach of the CBA.
Winnipeg heads out on a three-game road trip beginning with a game against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. Head coach Scott Arniel has already made it known that Connor Hellebuyck will not be in goal for the Jets that game and that he expects his Olympic gold medalist to return for Winnipeg's test against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday - the second game of the trip, which sees the Jets conclude their stay in San Jose on Sunday.