Jets Suspend Connor Hellebuyck After Goaltender Fails to Report to Camp

The Winnipeg Jets have suspended Connor Hellebuyck after the goaltender failed to report to the opening day of training camp.

Players were required to report on Wednesday for medicals and physicals ahead of the first on-ice session on Thursday. Hellebuyck was listed on the camp roster and scheduled to skate, but had informed the club he did not intend to attend.

A Request That Became Public

Hellebuyck asked to be traded during exit meetings after the regular season finished in April. The Jets kept it quiet for months before he confirmed it publicly on 27 August through his agent, Ray Petkau.

"I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options," Hellebuyck said in that statement. "With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed. I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family."

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff addressed the suspension on Thursday morning, saying he telephoned Hellebuyck's representatives after the goaltender missed both camp and the team dinner.

"This really isn't about finances," Cheveldayoff said. He described the suspension as procedural and stopped short of ruling out a return. "No doors are closed. He's a player that's under contract for five years. But at the end of the day that'll be his choice."

He also dismissed reports of an informal understanding that Hellebuyck would be moved if Winnipeg were not competitive. "A contract is a contract in the National Hockey League, period. There are no side agreements."

Cheveldayoff indicated he was prepared to wait for the right deal. "This isn't necessarily a time thing for me. My obligation is to the Winnipeg Jets players and the Winnipeg Jets fans, and for me, I just want to get this right."

Why No Trade Has Happened

Hellebuyck, 33, is one of the most decorated goaltenders of the past decade, with Vezina Trophies in 2020, 2024 and 2025 and the Hart Trophy in 2025. He had a weaker season last year.

He carries five more years at an average of $8.5 million, and the Jets are reported not to have received offers representing fair value for an elite goaltender on that kind of term. Buffalo held talks before the draft in June, with little movement since. Carolina and Utah have also been mentioned, while Florida were interested in June but have since spent their assets elsewhere.

The timing works in Hellebuyck's favour. NHL players are not paid until the regular season begins, so a holdout costs him nothing if a trade is completed before the opener.

Winnipeg Prepare Regardless

The Jets signed Stuart Skinner to a two-year, $7.5 million contract in July, a move that raised questions about Hellebuyck's future at the time. Skinner now appears set to start, potentially alongside Thomas Milic of the AHL's Manitoba Moose when Winnipeg open the season on 2 October.

"It's funny, it might be me that gets impacted a little bit more," Skinner said last week. "I haven't thought much about it. There's so many distractions that can go around in this league."

Defenceman Dylan DeMelo said the group had to move on. "If Connor's here or Connor's not here, we've got to go about our business and we can't let that be a distraction."

The last Jets player to skip camp was Jacob Trouba in 2016, who was eventually signed and later traded.