After months of rumors, longtime Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is officially ready to move on from the team.
In a statement shared by his agent, Ray Petkau, on social media, Hellebuyck confirmed that he “privately requested a trade” months ago. He added that he wanted to give the team time to explore options while trying to “handle the situation quietly and respectfully.”
“With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family,” Hellebuyck wrote.
Multiple reports in June had indicated that Hellebuyck was unhappy in Winnipeg and ready for a potential change. Later that month, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff would not confirm if the trade rumors were true, but did say that the team was listening to offers for the 33-year-old goalie. Hellebuyck finally provided some clarity with his statement on Thursday.
Born in Michigan, Hellebuyck was drafted by the Jets in 2012 after an amateur season with the Odessa Jackalopes. In the statement, the veteran netminder said that he “gave everything he hand to prove” that the team made the right choice.
“Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career, and I will always be grateful for my time there,” Hellebuyck wrote. “I appreciate everything Winnipeg Jets fans have meant to me throughout my career and hope a resolution can be reached soon.”
Hellebuyck also served as Team USA’s starting goalie in the 2026 Olympics, where the team won its first gold medal since 1980.
Hellebuyck made his NHL debut with the Jets in 2015, and became the team’s starter in 2017; that year, the Jets made it to the conference finals for the first time since the team returned to Winnipeg.
But in the years since, the Jets consistently struggled to advance far in the postseason — even in the 2024-25 season, when Winnipeg clinched the Presidents’ Trophy after finishing with the best record in the league. Last year, they didn’t make the playoffs at all.
Winnipeg’s training camp begins later this month. Preseason games for the NHL begin on Sept. 19, ahead of the 2026-27 regular season starting on Sept. 29.
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