Written by Gina Anton
The Winnipeg Jets wanted one thing from Tuesday night: a chance to finally put the Connor Hellebuyck saga behind them.
Instead, the former Jets goaltender will watch from the New Jersey Devils’ bench as Jake Allen gets the start at Canada Life Centre.
Hellebuyck wanted to play. He made that clear to the Devils, but the organization ultimately decided against it.
“We definitely had a conversation and I told them my thoughts on it and they told me theirs,” Hellebuyck said. “I was adamant that I want to play, but it is what it is.”
For Winnipeg, that decision takes away what was supposed to be one of the most anticipated moments of the season.
Jets coach Scott Arniel admitted he was frustrated by the decision, not simply because Hellebuyck would not be in net, but because it means the story surrounding his departure will continue.
“That’s the biggest thing. Now it’s not getting put to bed here. It’s going to linger,” Arniel said.
That lingering feeling is exactly what Winnipeg wanted to avoid.
Hellebuyck’s departure from the Jets was already difficult enough. After requesting a trade, the longtime starter failed to report to training camp and was suspended before eventually being dealt to New Jersey.
Tuesday was supposed to provide the first opportunity for Winnipeg fans and Hellebuyck’s former teammates to see each other since the split.
Instead, the reunion will be limited.
“I would have loved to play against him,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said. “We’d all be lying if we said we weren’t looking forward to the opportunity.”
Lowry acknowledged that the game would have carried plenty of emotion, regardless of how fans responded.
“It would have been an emotional night, and it would have been a lot of fun,” he said.
Now, Winnipeg has to find a way to make the night about something else.
The Jets enter the matchup riding a three-game winning streak and coming off a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mark Scheifele scored the winning goal with 1.6 seconds remaining after Winnipeg nearly gave away a three-goal lead in the third period.
That momentum gives the Jets something more immediate to focus on than the goaltender standing at the other end of the ice.
“We still have to beat the New Jersey Devils,” Arniel said. “That’s the single biggest thing.”
Hellebuyck may not be the center of attention once the puck drops, but his absence will still be noticeable. Winnipeg truly wanted a final chapter. Instead, the story gets another delay until the end of November.
