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Connor Hellebuyck gave many years of service to the Winnipeg Jets and the team’s fans, and those are the “good memories” Kevin Cheveldayoff intends to remember.
The past six months, since Hellebuyck told the team during exit interviews at the end of last season that he wanted to be moved, are the ones Cheveldayoff will endeavour to forget.
The Jets general manager met with reporters Friday, shortly after a blockbuster trade sent the all-star goalie to the New Jersey Devils for six players.
While many people might think putting a goalie of Hellebuyck’s calibre on the market would create a flood of offers, it’s not such an easy task, Cheveldayoff said.
He talked to a lot of teams, he said, and many who had a locked-in No. 1 goaltender offered nothing but sympathy.
“They said, ‘Hang in there. I feel for you, buddy.’ That’s the sentiment I got from a lot of my counterparts who were sleeping easy at night, as opposed to wasting away a summer,” Cheveldayoff said.
He’s “very comfortable” with the deal the Jets got, highlighted by Alexander Command, a rookie the Jets had considered choosing in the 2026 draft, had Viggo Björck not been available.
More to come.
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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.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is holding a news conference at 1:30 p.m. CT. It will be livestreamed here and on CBC Gem.
In return for Hellebuyck, the Jets have acquired forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command and 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.
Coming to Winnipeg in exchange for Hellebuyck are forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command and Nick Bjugstad and goaltender Nico Daws. The Jets also get New Jersey’s second-round pick in the 2029 NHL draft and seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft. (Winnipeg Jets)
Mercer, 24, was New Jersey’s first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2020 draft, while Daws, 25, was New Jersey’s third-round pick (84th overall) in the 2020 draft. They were teammates on Canada’s 2020 gold-medal-winning junior team.
Command, 18, was New Jersey’s first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2026 draft and is currently playing in the Swedish league.
Bjugstad, 34, was the Florida Panthers’ first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2010 draft. He’s currently on the long-term injured reserve, recovering from a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery.
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.
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.
When the Jets re-signed him in 2023, it was seen as a commitment to build a squad that would consistently compete for the Stanley Cup.
Then the Jets missed the playoffs in 2025-26 for the first time in four seasons after winning the President’s Trophy for the league’s best regular-season record in 2024-25.
Hellebuyck voiced strong frustration.
“What we did was unacceptable, and no one wants to be a part of that,” he said.
Cheveldayoff said last month that the team was respecting Hellebuyck’s request to keep the trade request quiet and was caught off guard when Hellebuyck went public on Aug. 27.
When he was a no-show for training camp in September, the Jets suspended him.
Hellebuyck notified the team on Oct. 2 that he planned to end his absence, but the Jets chose to enforce the full three-week suspension rather than immediately reintegrate him.
That suspension was set to expire on Friday.
Cheveldayoff last month said he was in no rush to make a trade, choosing instead to wait for the right offer.
He told reporters he didn’t want “future assets” that may or may not work out. He wanted players who could offer immediate production to support those who had committed to the team.