Connor Hellebuyck, Jets’ star goalie, will miss several weeks due to injury
The Winnipeg Jets will be forced to do without their star goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, for a period of four to six weeks. This is because the player will undergo a minor arthroscopic procedure on his knee, according to sources close to the team. Hellebuyck has been dealing with this injury since training camp. Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel revealed that the goalie tried to play despite the discomfort, but felt pain after each game. Both the player and the team felt it was the right time to address the situation and prevent the problem from worsening. Hellebuyck’s surgery is scheduled for Saturday. The 32-year-old player has been awarded the Vezina Trophy, which recognizes the best goaltender in the NHL, for two consecutive seasons. He was looking to become the first goaltender since Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek (1996-99) to win the award three times in a row. In his career, Hellebuyck has accumulated three Vezina trophies and has been a finalist five times. In the 14 games played with the Jets, Hellebuyck has an 8-6-0 record, with a .913 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average. Currently, the Jets are in third place in the Central Division, with a .632 points percentage. His last participation was on Saturday in Calgary, where he stopped 31 of 34 shots and, subsequently, three more in the Jets’ victory over the Flames in the penalty shootout.In the absence of Hellebuyck, Winnipeg has called up goaltender Thomas Milic from the AHL team, the Manitoba Moose, who will share the responsibility with backup goaltender Eric Comrie.
It is expected that Hellebuyck will be the starting goaltender for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Italy in February. He already played that role for the Americans in the 4 Nations Face-Off last season, where they lost the final against Canada.
