Overview
- The Devils kept Connor Hellebuyck out of the net for his return to Winnipeg on Tuesday, with GM Sunny Mehta saying starting him would “potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability.”
- Hellebuyck has said threats to his family after Team USA’s Olympic gold and escalating arena hostility were a key reason he requested a trade from the Jets.
- Winnipeg beat New Jersey 4-2 in the Nov. 10 game as former-Devils acquisition Dawson Mercer scored the game-winner and Kyle Connor added an empty-net goal.
- Jets fans loudly booed Hellebuyck during warmups, he retreated to a video room during the game, and the team later posted “Expected Win Probability 100%” on social media.
- The episode follows Hellebuyck skipping Jets training camp, a 24-day suspension and an Oct. 23 trade that sent Mercer, Nico Daws and other assets to Winnipeg, and it leaves unresolved questions about how teams balance analytics, player welfare and public optics.