Connor Hellebuyck arrived in Newark with his gear ready and a clear message: after a long wait away from NHL action, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner is eager to get back in the crease for the New Jersey Devils.
A new No. 37 in the Devils’ crease
Hellebuyck, 33, met reporters before New Jersey’s Saturday game against the Los Angeles Kings after completing a trade from the Winnipeg Jets the previous day. The Commerce, Michigan, native will wear No. 37 and share the Devils’ goaltending workload with 36-year-old Jake Allen.
His route to New Jersey followed a suspension from Winnipeg after he did not report to training camp. While trade discussions unfolded, Hellebuyck stayed on the ice in Michigan, preparing for his next opportunity.
“Being at home that long was starting to wear on me,” Hellebuyck said. “I’m excited to be playing hockey again. This is a talented team, and they acquired me to handle a particular job. I’m looking forward to doing that on the ice and in the room.”
Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said the addition gives the club a proven partner for Allen.
“Adding a goalie with that kind of résumé to work alongside Jake is exciting,” Keefe said. “It should bring more confidence to the team.”
- Hellebuyck has five seasons remaining on his seven-year contract.
- His annual salary-cap charge is $8.5 million.
- His first Devils appearance has not yet been set.
- He last played an NHL game on April 13, when Winnipeg lost 6-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The price paid for a franchise goaltender
New Jersey sent a sizable package to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck, moving forward Dawson Mercer, goaltender Nico Daws, prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round selection, a 2027 seventh-round pick and injured forward Nick Bjugstad.
General manager Sunny Mehta said Hellebuyck’s enthusiasm was obvious almost immediately when the two first spoke.
“He told me he was ready, packed and could get in the car immediately,” Mehta said with a laugh, adding that he advised the goaltender not to make that drive.
The Devils have opened the season with six wins in 10 games. Mehta has continued to reshape a club that missed the playoffs in two of the last three years and has advanced beyond the first round only once since 2012.
“The whole objective is winning,” Mehta said. “This makes us better. I liked the group we had after camp, and this improves it further.”
Hellebuyck’s Winnipeg body of work
Hellebuyck leaves Winnipeg after 11 seasons with the organization that selected him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. He helped the Jets capture the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25, when they finished first overall with 116 points and he posted 47 victories.
- He ranks fifth among U.S.-born NHL goaltenders with 345 career wins.
- Among American-born netminders with at least 300 starts, his .916 save percentage is fourth.
- His 2.58 career goals-against average is sixth in that same group.
- He won three Vezina Trophies during his Winnipeg tenure.
Winnipeg missed the playoffs last spring, one year after its Presidents’ Trophy campaign. Hellebuyck said he was not ready to fully discuss his departure from the Jets or what he wants to say to the city’s fans.
“There is a lot I need to say,” he said. “Out of respect for them and for hockey itself, I’ll save it for another time. I hope they understand that I care about them.”
The Devils will visit Winnipeg on Nov. 10, setting up an early return to the city Hellebuyck called home for more than a decade.
Olympic gold follows him to New Jersey
Hellebuyck joins a Devils room that already includes Jack Hughes, his teammate on the United States squad that won Olympic gold at the Milan Cortina Games this year. Hughes scored the overtime winner against Canada, securing the Americans’ first Olympic hockey gold medal since the 1980 Miracle on Ice team.
Hellebuyck said that championship remains one of the defining memories of his career.
“That will stay with me forever,” he said. “I think other people will hold onto it, too. I love hearing people tell their ‘where were you?’ stories from the gold-medal game.”
After two college seasons at UMass-Lowell and more than a decade based in Canada, Hellebuyck is also looking forward to playing closer to home and seeing the American response to the Olympic victory.
“I expect to hear much more about it here than I did in Canada,” he said. “Being nearer to my family and back in the United States makes this next stage of my career especially exciting.”
