Connor Hellebuyck, Jets’ star goalie, will miss several weeks due to injury
The Winnipeg Jets will be without their star goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, for a period of between four and six weeks. The player will undergo a knee arthroscopy, according to sources close to the team.
Hellebuyck has been dealing with this injury since training camp. Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel revealed that the goaltender tried to play through the discomfort, but felt pain after the games. Both the Jets and the star goaltender felt it was best to address the situation now to prevent it from dragging on.
The surgical intervention is scheduled for Saturday.
Hellebuyck, 32, has been awarded the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender for two consecutive seasons. He was looking to become the first netminder since Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek (1996-99) to win the award three straight times.
In total, Hellebuyck has three Vezina trophies and has been a finalist for the award 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. The Jets are third in the Central Division, with a .632 points percentage. Hellebuyck’s last game was on Saturday in Calgary, where he stopped 31 of 34 shots and three more in the Jets’ shootout victory against the Flames.
Winnipeg has called up goaltender Thomas Milic from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and will form a tandem with backup goaltender Eric Comrie during Hellebuyck’s absence.
Hellebuyck is expected to be Team USA’s starting goaltender at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy in February. He played that role for the Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off last season, losing in the gold medal game against Canada.
