The saga is over as Winnipeg Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey Devils

The Connor Hellebuyck era is over in Winnipeg after the Jets traded the all-star goalie on Friday.

3-time Vezina-winning goalie told team at the end of last season that he wanted out

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: Oct 23, 2026 12:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

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The Connor Hellebuyck era is over in Winnipeg after the Jets traded the all-star goalie on Friday.

The 33-year-old from Michigan is headed to the New Jersey Devils.

In return, the Jets acquire forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, and New Jersey’s second-round pick in the 2029 NHL draft and seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft.

The Jets are set to host the Devils at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Nov. 10.  

Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2025 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP who has made five appearances at the NHL All-Star Game.

He also backstopped the U.S. men's hockey team to an Olympic gold medal in February 2026.

He still had five years left on a seven-year contract but told the team during exit interviews at the end of last season that he wanted to be moved, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff told reporters last month.

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There was speculation it was because Hellebuyck and his family were targets of online harassment after the goalie and some Olympic teammates visited the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump gave Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.S.'s highest civilian honour, while anti-American sentiment was soaring in Canada due to Trump's tariffs and references to making Canada the 51st state.

Cheveldayoff told reporters in September that the harassment had escalated to the point where team security and local police were involved, with increased monitoring around Hellebuyck's Winnipeg residence.

Others speculated Hellebuyck's trade demands were prompted by the Jets' poor performance last season.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darren Bernhardt has been with CBC Manitoba since 2009 and specializes in offbeat and local history stories. He is the author of two bestselling books: The Lesser Known: A History of Oddities from the Heart of the Continent, and Prairie Oddities: Punkinhead, Peculiar Gravity and More Lesser Known Histories.