Winnipeg Jets Sign Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele to Massive Extensions

Winnipeg has signed Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele to monstrous extensions.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Mark Scheifele and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to matching seven-year, $59.5 million contract extensions.

The two star players were set to enter the 2023-24 NHL season on expiring contracts and facing unrestricted free agency this coming summer.

Both players will make $8.5 million per year through the 2030-31 season.

Scheifele and Hellebuyck, both 30, have spent their entire NHL careers with Winnipeg since being drafted in 2011 and 2012 respectively. 

Scheifele was the first-ever draft pick of the Jets 2.0 when he was chosen seventh overall in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft. Hellebuyck went in the fifth round (130th overall) the following year. 

Scheifele is the franchise No. 1 all-time in postseason goals (19) as well as regular season game-winning goals (44). The Kitchener, Ontario native is second in regular season goals (272), assists (373) and points (645). He put up a team-leading and career-high 42 goals last season in Winnipeg.

Hellebuyck owns Jets franchise records for games played (445), wins (238), shutouts (32), saves (12,465) and single-season wins (44). Since the 2017-18 season, the Commerce, Michigan product leads all NHL backstops in games played (363) and saves (10,412), while ranking second in wins (199) and third in shutouts (26).

Hellebuyck's deal carries a three-year full no-movement clause, before switching to a modified no-movement clause (player submitted 10-team no-trade list) for the 2027-28 season and onward. 

In spending $119 million on Thanksgiving Monday, the Jets have put significant weight into GM Kevin Cheveldayoff's earlier statements of 're-tooling' rather than 're-building'. 

These deals, although highly unexpected, will provide Jets management and fans alike a sign of forward thinking to go alongside a win-now mentality. 

Winnipeg opens the 2023-24 season on the road in Calgary this coming Wednesday, before returning home to Canada Life Centre for its home opener on Saturday afternoon vs. Florida. Puck drop is scheduled for 9:00 PM central time on Wednesday. The game can be viewed live on Sportsnet.