Hellebuyck won't play in return to Winnipeg with Devils - ESPN

The New Jersey Devils said Sunday that goalie Connor Hellebuyck will not face the Jets on Tuesday night in his first trip to Winnipeg since his contentious trade demand was granted.

Hellebuyck said he is «disappointed» that he won't face his former team.

«Selfishly, I want to play, but when you're looking at what's best for the team, I understand where they're coming from,» he said Sunday night after the Devils' 4-0 win in Toronto. «I love Winnipeg. Playing there again, just facing the music, seeing the reaction, it'd be nice. But it's out of my hands.»

Devils general manager Sunny Mehta released a statement Sunday night, citing a potential «reduction in our expected win probability» if Hellebuyck faced his former team for the first time. He played 11 seasons in Winnipeg.

«This has been an organizational decision for us that we've debated at length. Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play on Tuesday in Winnipeg. However, in our estimation, playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability,» Mehta said in the statement. «Even though Connor isn't playing, at his request, we will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday's morning skate.»

Hellebuyck made 23 saves in a 4-0 shutout win over the Maple Leafs on Sunday night. He is 5-0-0 since joining the Devils with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.

A former NHL MVP and three-time Vezina Trophy winner, Hellebuyck was suspended by the Jets after failing to report to training camp, having requested a trade from the team.

The 33-year-old, who backstopped the U.S. men's hockey team to Olympic gold this year, had four more years left on a seven-year deal he signed in October 2023. He was traded to