Winnipeg | NHL Jets

[neutroniks]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

He got 🞵🞵🞵🞵 hurt with the whole Olympics scandal. So is running back to the motherland.



ba dum tis. haha

Yup. Having no Canadian Teams on his desired destinations list (allegedly) proves that.

[rebl]

Coloured lights can hypnotize

Bye-bye Helle

[Stormer]

I've heard that Canada is "horrible" and the "worst country" so who can blame him.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

He got 🞵🞵🞵🞵 hurt with the whole Olympics scandal. So is running back to the motherland.



ba dum tis. haha

I mean we have to be real about this. From where I sit, it looks like an unhinged online mob chased the goalie out of town.

Now, whether or not there were other factors at play is anyone's guess, but I would assume that there were other factors potentially already present. It's possible that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

On a separate note, it beggars belief how venemous some of the comments on him at the time were (and continue to be). We deserve this 🞵🞵🞵🞵 honestly.

On a separate separate note, it is unfortunate how Helle played this, and he hasn't done himself any favours by how he is handling this situation. His goal should be to increase his trade stock as much as possible.

[bomberjet]

If only he would make a statement with some context to the situation.

Chevy's presser just now. In typical fashion he didnt say much. But the way he started it and the tone of his speech, seems Chevy is very disappointed with Connor (of course) and is basically laying it out for everyone that Connor no showed on the team like a lil baby and deserves everything he gets for it.

[bomberjet]

I'll just add that a lot of what we hear are rumours. Such as his family was threatened. By whom? Directly or some rando on the internet? Where the police involved? Because if someone threatened my family to the point I'm not reporting to work and moving out of the country, I'd be calling the police.

Edit: Just saw this post. I havent watched the full presser just some clips.

https://x.com/mikemcintyrewpg/status/2100614523657023983

#NHLJets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said their security team and even the police got involved to an extent after threats and online vitriol were directed towards Connor Hellebuyck and his family following the Olympics. Can’t speak to how much that has played a role here.

[neutroniks]

IIRC correctly, the same thing happened to Skinner in Edmonton after the last two stanley cup appearances. His wife was getting crazy death threats. Every sport has their fanatic fans that go waaay too far, but I imagine with the added Canada-US tensions, and his willingness to go to the white house, a lot of people took their opinions way too far.

It's one thing to go after the athlete, but going after the family, whether directly or through social media, is always a huge line that should never be crossed.

[Wpg_Guy]

‘Hellebuyck’s part of our family until he isn’t part of our family’
Jets GM reveals new details of netminder’s trade request, elaborates on suspension
Mike McIntyre
Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Connor Hellebuyck and his family were subject to so much post-Olympic vitriol that both the Winnipeg Jets security team and even police had to get involved.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed new details about the situation when asked about it Thursday by the Free Press, acknowledging it may have played a role in the star goaltender now refusing to report to training camp while he awaits word of a trade he’s demanded.

“That’s the dangers of being on social media today,” said Cheveldayoff, who took aim at the trolls.

“You open yourself up, obviously to the fans and you want to make that connection, but some of the fans aren’t true blue fans. There’s a lot of things that probably get said that have nothing to do with anybody in our market. They might not even be from a Canadian market.”

Hellebuyck led the U.S. team to a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games last February, which led to a trip to the White House where U.S. President Donald Trump awarded him the Medal of Freedom. That caused significant backlash north of the border, especially given Trump’s ongoing threat of making Canada the 51st state and the subsequent trade war that has ensued.

“Obviously what (Hellebuyck and his family) endured, they shouldn’t have to,” said Cheveldayoff.

“I had many conversations when he was coming back from the Olympics, I was over in Europe scouting, and I had many late night conversations with his representatives and made all the offers. I do know we requested additional security so to speak, made it known to the police and please make sure the players feel safe.”

The Jets dealt with similar blowback a few years ago when star centre Mark Scheifele and his family came under attack from Montreal Canadiens fans following an ugly hit to Habs forward Jake Evans in the playoffs.

“We made it very well known that we’re here to help and we’ve taken many, many measures, not only from the cyber side of things but from a physical side of things in trying to make sure everybody feels comfortable being in and around any aspect of the Winnipeg Jets,” said Cheveldayoff.

Thing is, Hellebuyck is not currently around the Jets. The 33-year-old Michigan product has been suspended indefinitely by the club, the messy culmination of a trade request the three-time Vezina Trophy winner quietly made last April during contentious exit meetings with Cheveldayoff and the coaching staff.

Winnipeg has been trying to honour that request, coming close at the NHL draft in June, but haven’t found an offer they can’t refuse. And so Hellebuyck — who has five years left on his contract — has gone on strike.

“There’s probably lots of whys. Unfortunately this situation is what it is,” said Cheveldayoff. “We’ve been dealing with it for a period of time now. Just looking to find a resolution that works for both sides, and certainly for the players and the fans of the Winnipeg Jets.”

Hellebuyck has a no-trade clause and will only consider a move to an American market. That, combined with the fact most teams already have a No. 1 goaltender locked in place makes finding a suitor difficult — especially with the Jets looking for a return that can help keep their competitive window open.

“The choices that he makes are the choices that he makes,” said Cheveldayoff, who insisted he’s not working under any deadline.

“I don’t want to disparage an offer from a manager as terrible. What we have to understand here is we’re talking about moving Connor Hellebuyck — player that has been very, very important to this franchise and is a very good player. We expect that a level of return would be commensurate to that.

“For me, I just want to get this right.”

There’s been some rumblings the Jets made Hellebuyck an under-the-table promise to move him during the course of his contract should he have a change of heart.

Cheveldayoff quickly poured cold water on that notion.

“A contract is a contract here in the National Hockey League, period. There are no side agreements, no gentleman’s agreements, the league doesn’t allow for that,” he said.

The Jets are trying to rebound from a disappointing season in which they fell from first-overall to 26th and missed the playoffs. Having Hellebuyck in limbo won’t make that any easier.

“I think we’ve been a team that’s tried to be competitive as much as we possibly can each and every year. Obviously last season we didn’t have a good year. There’s no doubt about that,” said Cheveldayoff.

“We think we have a good group here. We think we have a good nucleus. We stumbled last year.”

Have any bridges been burned between Hellebuyck and the Jets?

“No door is closed, it’s a player that’s under contract and under contract for five years. It’s his choice,” said Cheveldayoff.

“Connor Hellebuyck’s part of our family until he isn’t part of our family.”

winnipegfreepress.com

[Wpg_Guy]

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[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

I mean we have to be real about this. From where I sit, it looks like an unhinged online mob chased the goalie out of town.

Now, whether or not there were other factors at play is anyone's guess, but I would assume that there were other factors potentially already present. It's possible that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

On a separate note, it beggars belief how venemous some of the comments on him at the time were (and continue to be). We deserve this 🞵🞵🞵🞵 honestly.

On a separate separate note, it is unfortunate how Helle played this, and he hasn't done himself any favours by how he is handling this situation. His goal should be to increase his trade stock as much as possible.

The vast majority of negative comments were fro people outside of Manitoba, so it's not like this is a Winnipeg problem. Aside from that, NFL players deal with far worse abuse. I'm not saying what Hellebuyck and his family had to endure was right, but being a pro athlete, it comes with the territory sadly.

[drew]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

I mean we have to be real about this. From where I sit, it looks like an unhinged online mob chased the goalie out of town.

Please tell me you aren't serious with this comment?

If this was actually the case, the press and attention this would have brought at the time it was occurring would have been intense. Remember when Scheifele's family was threatened after his hard, legal check in the playoffs against Montreal? I do. Remember when Helle's family was threatened after the Olympics? I don't.

The fact there was crickets tells you everything you need to know.

Here is my take (which I have mostly posted before):

- Helle is at least soft MAGA (his opinions during Covid and accepting and embracing his white house visit with Trump as examples).
- There was almost certainly some degree of let's build NHL super teams (based in the US) during the post Olympics Gold medal fervor.
- The Jets were 🞵🞵🞵🞵 last year (and so was Helle) but he provided exactly zero accountability for his part of it, as the writing - for him - was already on the wall. He had already made up his mind he wanted to move down to a US team.

Anything regarding feeling unsafe or mean posters online is just noise. Stuff he can use to get you looking over there while he was already on the move.

To me, it similar to 7-11 press releasees as they close stores for what is ultimately the same reason. In Vancouver, it's because of changing markets conditions or moving to a different business model. In Winnipeg, it's robbery.

Helle is doing his 7-11 swipe at a vulnerable Winnipeg - because he can - and because he lacks the courage to simply tell the truth.

[neutroniks]

IMO, he's also aware that he's 33, and is aware he doesn't have a huge window, especially with his playoff record, so he's going the route many NFL and NBA stars do in the latter years of their career to ring chase. Many of those athletes earlier in their career "pledge loyalty to the city" and then turn because of "personal reasons". Like Drew said, I also believe he's Soft MAGA, likely doesn't want his kids growing up with Canadian education (even though he could probably afford private tutors)

[CoryB]

Some hard truths here:

- Hellebyuck has a reputation on playing the majority of the games making attracting a quality #2 goalie challenging.

- Due to mid season surgery last year Hellebyuck missed 11 games, about 14% of the season and the team went 2-8-1 in that time.

- The end of the year the Jets were 4 wins out of a playoff spot. If you change Hellebyuck's absence to 50/50 split it effectively puts them in the playoffs.

--

Some further hard truths for Hellebyuck:

- Normally the level of play for goalies declines starting around age 30

- Most goalies end their careers by the before the age of 40.

- Hellebyuck would be 38 at the end of his current contract

- Hellebyuck claims the trade request is about wanting to play for a contender yet he reported has kept Edmonton on his no trade list. Edmonton is also one of the teams with enough assets that they could make an interesting trade package.

- Hellebyuck currently sitting out and not honouring his contract is demonstrating to other teams that he may do the same there.

--

At this point some other team is going to need to get really desperate in order for a deal to happen. Or perhaps Conor can call his friend Don for some advice on the art of the deal and get bailed out by a friend of a friend.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by neutroniks

IMO, he's also aware that he's 33, and is aware he doesn't have a huge window, especially with his playoff record, so he's going the route many NFL and NBA stars do in the latter years of their career to ring chase. Many of those athletes earlier in their career "pledge loyalty to the city" and then turn because of "personal reasons". Like Drew said, I also believe he's Soft MAGA, likely doesn't want his kids growing up with Canadian education (even though he could probably afford private tutors)

Probably all of this is correct. When Trump first started threatening Canada and the U.S. national anthem was being booed in Canadian arenas, I wouldn't doubt if Helle felt a little uncomfortable. If he was already somewhat pro-Trump his feelings would have been reinforced and expanded throughout his Olympic experience. Add to that the disappointment of last year's run and you have someone looking to make a change.

[Wpg_Guy]

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The logo for the upcoming 2026 Heritage Classic


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[Wpg_Guy]

Hellebuyck standoff caused by… Nathan MacKinnon?
Butterfly effect of missed goal could very well have sparked trajectory of current Jets stalemate
Mike McIntyre
Friday, Sep. 18, 2026


Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

Team Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon (left) just misses the open net on Team USA netminder Connor Hellebuyck in the men’s gold medal hockey game at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics back in February.

Looking for someone to blame in the Connor Hellebuyck fiasco and cast as public enemy No. 1? How about long-time Winnipeg Jets nemesis Nathan MacKinnon?

Allow us to explain as we fire up the time machine and head back to February in Italy.

Oh, what could have been if MacKinnon had been able to score on what appeared to be an open net late in the third period of the men’s gold medal game with Hellebuyck down and seemingly out of position.

Instead, the star forward fired wide, keeping the score deadlocked at 1-1 as the clock ticked down on regulation.

That miss would become the stuff of Canadian hockey nightmares when Jack Hughes sniped in overtime to send Team USA to the top of the podium. And while the New Jersey Devils forward was the scoring hero, nobody stood taller that night in Milan than Hellebuyck, who stopped 41-of-42 shots he faced while getting some puck luck along the way.

The dramatic ending arguably set in motion a chaotic — and catastrophic, from a Winnipeg fanbase point of view — chain of events that has culminated in the Jets starting training camp this week without their star netminder, who has gone on strike.

There continues to be no movement on that front with Hellebuyck back at his off-season home in Michigan, working out privately and waiting for word on a trade he has requested despite having five years remaining on his contract.

It’s hard to fathom how he’s helping his stock by refusing to come to work, something the NHL hasn’t seen from a player under contract since Alexei Yashin, then of the Ottawa Senators, way back in 1999.

The Jets, who haven’t found a team willing to pay what they admit would be a high price, have suspended the three-time Vezina Trophy and one-time Hart Trophy winner.

Is it a bit of a stretch to try to connect the dots and point the finger or blame MacKinnon’s way? Perhaps. But this is a classic example of the butterfly effect, described as a “concept in chaos theory stating that small changes in the starting conditions of a complex system can lead to drastically different outcomes over time.”

In a nutshell, it’s about “ifs and buts.” And this soap opera is loaded with them.

Imagine a world where Hellebuyck and his American teammates are forced to settle for a silver medal. A nice trinket, for sure. But hardly something that would trigger the prolonged victory lap that came with being the golden boys and earning bragging rights for at least the next four years.

Do you think U.S. President Donald Trump would have extended an invitation to the second-place squad to chow down on McDonald’s cheeseburgers with him at the White House?

Not a chance.

Nor would Hellebuyck have been awarded the Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian honour in the United States. It’s that distinction which really caused significant backlash north of the border, especially given Trump’s continued threats to make Canada the 51st state paired with the ongoing trade war.

As we have since learned, Hellebuyck, and in particular his wife Andrea, were subjected to online harassment and threats that prompted the Jets’ security team and even police to get involved.

And sources have told the Free Press that certainly played a part in Hellebuyck wanting out. Not just from Winnipeg, but from Canada altogether. It’s widely believed the 33-year-old Michigan native would be unwilling to waive his no-move clause for any other team in this country.

All of which has put the Jets in a major pickle as they try to rebound from a terrible season in which they fell from first overall to 26th, but will now have to do it without the services of one of their most important players.

“It might have been a surprise to you guys, but I think we kind of had an inkling that it was going that way,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said on Friday.

“It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got to focus on the guys that are here and make the best of the situation. Obviously it’s a super important piece from our team.”

It’s also a distraction that is clearly starting to wear on some players.

“I mean, honestly, there’s so many people talking about Hellebuyck and the whole situation. I think there is enough we talked about,” said a clearly irritated Nino Niederreiter.

“So for me, it’s important to talk about the Winnipeg Jets who are here, and we don’t really need to focus on guys who are not here.”

Worth noting: We’re only two days into training camp. And this story, along with questions about it, won’t go away until there is some type of finality.

Hellebuyck isn’t the only American player to want out of a Canadian market. Olympic teammate Quinn Hughes wasn’t going to re-sign in Vancouver and was ultimately shipped to Minnesota. And Brady Tkachuk requested a trade from Ottawa at the end of last season and was ultimately given a one-way ticket to Florida to play with his brother Matthew.

There are rumblings that Auston Matthews might not be long for Toronto, either.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that Team USA dressing room or to be granted access to their team group chat. One can only imagine the content, especially with fellow gold medallists Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski and even Hughes — Mr. Golden Goal — all potentially looking for new hockey homes, too.

So, back to MacKinnon. If he shoots that puck just a few inches in the other direction, would any of this be happening?

We’ll never know. And that’s the whole point. One tiny change in Italy, one piece of vulcanized rubber bouncing another way, and the butterfly effect starts flapping its wings.

Jets fans have never needed a reason to boo MacKinnon, who has led his Colorado Avalanche to plenty of success against the local squad, including a first-round victory in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

MacKinnon had no trouble solving Hellebuyck that spring, scoring twice and adding seven assists in the Avalanche’s five-game triumph.

Would one more snipe — this time on an even bigger sporting stage — have prevented the current standoff?

Winnipeg Free Press

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by CoryB

- The end of the year the Jets were 4 wins out of a playoff spot. If you change Hellebyuck's absence to 50/50 split it effectively puts them in the playoffs.

The way Hellebuyck always shits the bed come playoff time, it wouldn't ahve mattered. This is precisely why teams are giving lowball offers. If Helle had led us to the Cup Finals when we were a Stanley Cup contender, or even won one cup, a deal would have already been done.

Hellebyuck claims the trade request is about wanting to play for a contender yet he reported has kept Edmonton on his no trade list. Edmonton is also one of the teams with enough assets that they could make an interesting trade package.

Hellebuyck wants out of Canada, but won't say it in public for obvious reasons. If the Jets give in and trade him, it sets a very dangerous precedent for Canadian clubs. I would bet my life that the NHL, and ESPECIALLY the Canadian owners are telling Chevy to sit him out for good.

If an athlete who has signed a legitimate contract, wants to break it to get out of Canada, and they get away with it, it could open the doors of other star players wanting out of the country. I personally say the Jets should pull a Kaepernack, and force him out of the NHL. Let Helle have fun playing for Sochi HC, for his final years.

I just cannot believe what a selfish 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 the guy is. "Hey Morrissey, you tried your best, but you'r no Makar, so I'm just going to 🞵🞵🞵🞵 all over you and the rest of the team. And f**k Scheifele's Dad too."