Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck confirms he asked the Winnipeg Jets for a trade

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has officially stated that he requested a trade from his team. His agent, Ray Petkau, released a statement on Thursday confirming the request. Hellebuyck stated that he sought the trade "several months ago" and attempted to handle the situation discreetly while allowing the organization to consider its options. The 33-year-old goaltender emphasized that his stance has remained unchanged, expressing the belief that moving on is the best course of action for him and his family.

Hellebuyck, who has spent his entire NHL career with the Jets, was recognized as the MVP in the 2024-25 season. He also led the U.S. team to a gold medal at the 2022 Olympics. Additionally, he played a pivotal role at the international level, having been named a three-time Vezina Trophy winner. Hellebuyck represented the U.S. in the 2022 Olympics, where they won the gold medal.

However, Hellebuyck faced challenges during the 2023-24 season, including time missed due to injury and a career-worst .895 save percentage. Winnipeg had high expectations for the season, but they ultimately missed the playoffs. Despite these setbacks, Hellebuyck's statistics and career accomplishments place him among the elite goaltenders of the past decade.

His 345 wins, 2.58 goals-against average, and .916 save percentage since joining the league in 2015 are second only to Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Hellebuyck has not achieved the same postseason success as Vasilevskiy, he did manage to advance past the second round and reach the Western Conference final once, back in 2018 with the Jets.