Connor Hellebuyck won’t be between the pipes for the New Jersey Devils in Winnipeg on Tuesday night.
The Devils announced Sunday night that they are keeping their number-one netminder out of action for his return game against the Jets, citing a team decision that would reduce their odds of winning.
“This has been an organizational decision for us that we’ve debated at length,” Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said in a statement. “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. Even though Connor isn’t playing, at his request, we will coordinate a media availability after Tuesday’s morning skate at Canada Life Centre.”
The Jets dealt Hellebuyck to the Devils last month after a lengthy trade-request saga saw the star netminder sit out training camp and the start of the 2026-27 regular season.
The November 10 game between the two teams in Winnipeg was to be Hellebuyck’s first outing at his former home arena since the drama began over the summer.
This story is still developing.
