Connor Hellebuyck Post-game On Tuesday night, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck became the third-fastest goaltender in NHL history to earn 300 career wins. He did it at home and in front of the same fans he has earned each of his wins with. “It feels good. The anticipation was killing me a little bit," he said of failing to pickup win No. 300 in each of his past two starts. "That’s not how I played it out this week, but the guys played so hard in front of me and the crowd was incredible tonight. That’s a very memorable one.” It will certainly be a lifelong memory for the now 10-year NHL veteran. A blue collar crowd of hard-nosed hockey fans showed their love and support by way of multiple standing ovations throughout the evening affair - which ended up being a 5-2 victory over the Central Division's Nashville Predators. "Just like the third period tonight, those shots that were coming at him — especially on that penalty kill — that's the greatness that you see," head coach Scott Arniel said of his goaltender. "And to be able to be around that, to watch that and be behind a bench watching that every night — that's special for me. These guys, they only come around every so often. He's one of those guys. And we've got him for a few more years, which is great." Hellebuyck finished the night with 26 saves for his league-leading 25th win of the year, helping Winnipeg to its league-leading 28th victory on the season. He was rightly named the game's first star. “I was trying to share the moment with the fans," Hellebuyck said of his emphatic post-game celebration. "At the heart of our game, we’re kind of entertainers. They’ve been with us through the start of this. Everyone that was in the crowd tonight, I was trying to give them a piece of that emotion that I was feeling.” Hellebuyck, who has never had anything handed to him, worked his way through the NAHL to the NCAA, before finding his groove in the AHL and later translating that goaltending magic to the big league Jets. “You know, for the longest time I was just playing. Taking it day-by-day, having fun, working hard and trying to get better," he shared. "As you get a little older in this league and things start to happen and you start to achieve some things, that kind of sets in and you start to realize that you’re doing some great things. I’ve been grateful to be part of this great organization and have had a lot of these guys around me the entire time. It’s been a good team the entire time I’ve been here, so I’m very grateful for everything that’s been going on around me. I know it’s not just me, it’s a whole team and a whole organization that helps.” Many figured his time with Winnipeg would come to an end following the 2023-24 season, until he opted to sign a seven-year, $59.5 million contract - alongside Mark Scheifele - in early October of 2023 to stick around Manitoba well into the later stages of his career. "We've all gone through the thick of it together. To share this moment with (the fans) means a lot," he said. "I guess you could say our first whiteout in 2019," he added, when asked to think back upon his fond Winnipeg memories. "We felt really connected to our fans then. That was such a fun run. Going through what this city has gone through over the last couple of years, and going through it with them, seeing how big we are in the community and how much people care about us, it's hard not to start to feel connected. And as time goes you just grow stronger and closer. Having now hit 40 shutouts and 300 wins just over halfway into this season - two of his three goals heading into the 2024-25 calendar year - there is just one more box to check off on his list. "Don't make me say it," Hellebuyck told TSN's Sara Orlesky on-ice following Tuesday's game on his implied desire to win the Stanley Cup. Hellebuyck became the third-fastest goaltender to ever reach 300 wins and the fastest American-born netminder to accomplish the feat. "His love for the fans is based on how they cheer his name and how they give him standing ovations," Arniel shared. "He loves to show it back like that. For him, he's earned it all. 300 [wins] is a heck of a milestone. You got to tip your hat to greatness that way. You always love to see it when guys want to be here and how the fans reciprocate that back." In hitting 40 shutouts and 300 wins by game 538 he also put his name in the record books as the second-fastest backstop to accomplish both those statistics jointly, trailing only Jacques Plante. “It’s cool to watch. I was laughing tonight, when he makes a big save then gets a walleye moving around up on the banner," teammate Morgan Barron said of the electronic wraparound scoreboard that shows images of Hellebuyck fishing after making timely stops. "He very much embraces Winnipeg, and I think Winnipeg embraces him. That’s really cool to see, the connection that such a great player has with such a great city. You can tell he loves it here, he’s passionate about being here and passionate about being a Winnipeg Jet. You can see it night in and night out, you saw it tonight, he was really pumped up. I know we kind of let him down to get that 300th win for him a few times, but it was really cool for him to get it, especially in that fashion. He made some huge saves for us at the end there.” Sitting on the bench watching the reigning Vezina Trophy winner stonewall opponents isn't the only time Barron enjoys a laugh either. "There are times we’re playing the other team and you just hear guys saying, “what is going on, this guy is unbelievable,” just muttering to themselves on the ice. It’s just fun," he chuckled. "It seems like he hits one of these milestones every couple weeks. I am sure there will be another one coming down the pipeline. I just feel real honoured to be his teammate and get to watch that.” With career victory No. 300 now taken care of, the next order of business is No. 301. which could come as early as Friday night at home against Los Angeles. But for the time being, some celebrations are certainly in order. What exactly? Likely a pre-game presentation, but that's about all that the all-star goaltender can share. "I don't think there's going to be much celebrating tonight," Hellebuyck laughed. "I think we'll wait for the ceremony and go from there. I know my wife is planning some things. I was left in the dark on purpose, so it's going to be a surprise."
