Hellebuyck says he's 'ready today’ to make Devils debut

NEWARK, N.J. -- Connor Hellebuyck doesn’t feel like he needs more time before making his New Jersey Devils debut.

The 33-year-old goalie practiced with the Devils for the first time Monday after being traded from the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.

"If you're asking me, I'm ready today," Hellebuyck said. "But I don't make every decision around here."

Hellebuyck did not report to Jets training camp last month and spent several weeks skating in Michigan. He wore a temporary Devils sticker on his mask at practice and is thrilled to exchange informal sessions for a team environment.

"It was fun," Hellebuyck said. "I've been really looking forward to this day for a while now, and it felt good getting acclimated with a new group and having some fun out there."

New Jersey  (7-4-0) begins a three-game road trip at the Dallas Stars on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; Prime Video, MSGSN). Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said Hellebuyck looked sharp but cautioned several decisions must be made before placing him in the lineup. Hellebuyck has been on the ice for more than four weeks but still must clear medical and coaching checkpoints.

The road trip continues at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday and concludes at the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. 

"I think the intent would be to get him involved in this trip," Keefe said. "But we'll have to take it a day at a time."

Hellebuyck looked comfortable throughout practice, taking shots and tracking pucks through screens. He's always willing to handle the puck and sometimes holds it behind the net to allow his teammates time to organize the breakout.

"I'm someone that will sit on that puck and wait for my play, so I like to think these guys' jobs got a little easier," Hellebuyck said. "I know (Jake) Allen is pretty good with the puck as well, so they're probably used to it. I think it's just more of them knowing right out of the gate that they can trust me back there."

Luke Hughes already has a pretty good idea of what the Devils can expect. The defenseman skates with Hellebuyck, along with his brothers, New Jersey center Jack Hughes and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, during offseason sessions filled with NHL players. Hughes said those workouts are competitive, demanding and designed for far more than simply maintaining conditioning.

"We have close to like a billion dollars on the ice, right?" Hughes said. "We get a lot of really good players, and we train to get better. We're not out there to just stay in shape. We're trying to get better, each guy.

"It's hard to score on him. We always joke around, 'How many goals did you get on ‘Helle' today?' Usually, it's not many."

The Devils acquired Hellebuyck from the Jets for forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goalie Nico Daws, the rights to unsigned forward Alexander Command, New Jersey’s second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft and its seventh-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft. 

The move added one of the most accomplished goalies in the NHL to a team that believes it is ready to contend for the Stanley Cup.

Hellebuyck played his first 11 NHL seasons with Winnipeg and is the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers’ franchise leader in games played by a goalie (625), starts (615), wins (345) and shutouts (45). He won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL three times (2020, 2024, 2025) and the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player once (2024-25 season).

Devils forward Connor Brown said Hellebuyck’s resume is impressive, but his desire to win the Stanley Cup drives him.

"The best part about all of that is he's still really hungry because he doesn't have the ultimate prize in hockey," Brown said. "For him to be able to see that future here in New Jersey, that kind of echoes what I felt when I came here (as free agent July 1, 2025).

"If this team commits to playing that type of hockey, it's very hard to beat. It's just exciting."

Brown said Hellebuyck's arrival should not tempt the Devils to relax defensively. If anything, it should create a greater sense of responsibility in front of him.

"A guy of that caliber comes in, you want to impress him with our team game, with our defensive game, and show him that he made a good decision to want to come to this team," Brown said.

Hughes called Hellebuyck a "Hall of Fame goalie," and said the trade has created noticeable energy inside the dressing room.

"We're making a push, right?" Hughes said. "With our forward group and our defense, the way we've been playing, hopefully we can keep going and keep growing as a team. 

“Everyone's real excited. There's buzz around the room."

Hellebuyck said putting on a new jersey after spending his entire career with one team conjured complicated emotions, but returning to an NHL crease brought something much simpler.

"I'm just really excited to play hockey again," he said. "That was the hardest part about all of this, wanting to go back and not being able to. I'm just ready to do what I do best."