Ryan Clark
multiple authors
The Winnipeg Jets suspended star goaltender Connor Helleback for failing to report to training camp Wednesday night.
The Jets begin training camp Thursday in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but did not say how long the layoff will last. The team said general manager Kevin Cheverdayov will meet with reporters Thursday morning.
The suspension is the latest development in an ongoing saga that stems from Hellebuyck’s desire to leave the team that drafted him in 2012.
In a statement released through agent Ray Petkau in late August, the 2025 NHL MVP and three-time Vezina Trophy winner requested to be traded. Helleback said he “tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options.”
“My position has not changed and I believe moving forward is the best path forward for me and my family,” Helleback said in the statement. “… [I] Hopefully a solution can be reached soon. “
In the weeks since that statement, there has been heightened focus on how the Jets will handle the situation after missing the playoffs for a season. A year after posting the NHL’s best record, Winnipeg is eight points out of contention for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
There are several reasons why the Jets will miss the playoffs for the first time in three years, including Hellebuyck’s extended absence.
The 33-year-old underwent minor arthroscopic surgery in late November and was out for about a month. In his absence, Winnipeg went 3-10-1 after an 11-7 start.
Hellebuyck finished the season with a 23-23-11 record, a 2.86 earned run average and a 0.895 save percentage. His GAA is his highest since the 2021-22 season (2.97); his save percentage is the worst of his career, having never been below .900 before.
He did lead Team USA to its first Olympic goal medal since 1980 in February.
The Jets will have six goaltenders on the roster, and Hellebuyck is among them.
Stuart Skinner signed a two-year contract worth $3.75 million per year as a free agent and is the player with the most NHL experience besides Hellebuyck. Skinner started last season with the Edmonton Oilers before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he had a 23-17-9 record, a 2.92 GAA and an .888 save percentage. He was part of an Oilers team that reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025, losing to the Florida Panthers.
Thomas Millich is the Jets’ only current goaltender who played in the NHL last season. Milic, 23, spent most of the 2025-26 season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, going 0-1 with a 3.46 GAA and .871 save percentage in three games.