Jets hope emotional win against Devils brings closure to Hellebuyck saga

WINNIPEG -- If the Winnipeg Jets and their passionate fanbase were looking for closure, they likely got it here at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday, even without Connor Hellebuyck in net for the New Jersey Devils.

“That’s what I hope for,” coach Scott Arniel said following Winnipeg's 4-2 win against New Jersey. “We still have to go to their building in a couple of weeks (Nov. 28), but at the end of the day, we’re mounting wins and that’s so important. We got ourselves behind the eight ball, and now we have to try and make up ground.”  

There was a considerable amount of build up to this game, which isn't surprising considering the circumstances.

Hellebuyck spent his first 11 seasons in Winnipeg after the Jets selected him in the fifth round (No. 130) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He went 345-208-55 with the Jets, winning the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL three times (2019-20, 2023-24, 2024-25) and the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player once (2024-25).

However, despite having five seasons remaining on a seven-year, $59.5 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) he signed on Oct. 9, 2023, he publicly stated on Aug. 27 that he had requested a trade from the team earlier in the offseason.

The 33-year-old was subsequently suspended by the Jets when he didn’t report to training camp, and on Oct. 23, the day that suspension was scheduled to come to an end, he was traded to New Jersey.

But his much-anticipated return took a twist on Sunday, when New Jersey general manager Sunny Mehta announced in a statement that Hellebuyck would not play against the Jets, citing a “reduction in our expected win probability” as the reason Jake Allen would get the start instead.

Hellebuyck, to his credit, addressed the Winnipeg media for the first time since April 27 in a lengthy availability following the morning skate. He answered questions relating to why he asked for a trade  while also expressing disappointment at not getting the opportunity to play against his former team, though he added the decision was out of his hands.  

“What I expect out of the reaction is a great group of fans that are going to show their emotions and wear it on their sleeves and cheer on their team in the best possible way,” Hellebuyck said about the game itself. “I’m sure they’ll have some clever things they’ll come up with, and it will be a night everyone will remember and enjoy.”

It did turn out to be a memorable, but not just for the fans.

No, it was also memorable for forward Dawson Mercer and goalie Nico Daws, who were acquired as part of the blockbuster trade for Hellebuyck. Mercer scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period, and Daws made 19 saves for his first win with Winnipeg.

“Playing your old team the first time was definitely an exciting game for me,” Mercer said. “The energy was pretty crazy, especially how we finished the game. We came back, that third period was pretty nice. ... To get the first one, and then the cherry on top for another one at the end definitely made my night."

Winnipeg fans broke out into a “Mercer’s better!” chant after he scored his first goal before simply going with “Dawson Mercer!” following his second.

They were two of many chants on the night, some creative, some R-rated, and others quite comical.

“The chants were pretty special. I haven’t heard that before, so it was pretty good," Mercer said.

“It’s been great (the fanbase). I’ve said it before, when I came here as the away team, it’s a great atmosphere. But definitely as the home team, you could definitely feel the energy pushing behind you, and it was pretty nice tonight.

The fanbase's pent-up energy was released well prior to the opening face-off, seeing as how Hellebuyck's only appearance would come in warm-ups.

He was the last of the Devils to hit the ice, and not surprisingly, he was greeted by a chorus of boos.

“It was loud. The warmups were crazy,” Daws said. “The fans here are awesome. Before I came here, I had never been here before, so this is my first few times seeing that, and it’s a great atmosphere.

“They care a lot about hockey here and they care a lot about the team, and it’s fun. It’s fun to be a part of it. It makes you want to battle that extra little bit every night for them.”

Once Hellebuyck left the ice he was not seen again for the rest of the night, instead watching the game from an undisclosed location out of sight from the fans.

It’s something he also did in Winnipeg when not playing, often taking in the game in the video room.

That didn’t keep fans from expressing their feelings on the situation.

Once the puck dropped fans began chanting, “Where is Connor?”

When Kyle Connor made it 2-0 in the first period on Winnipeg’s fourth shot of the game, fans started chanting, “Pull your goalie!”

Eventually they turned to, “Let’s go Jets,” with Winnipeg needing an extra boost in the third after giving up two goals in the second.

It worked, with Mercer scoring the go-ahead goal at 11:58 before Connor added an empty-net goal with 58 seconds left to give the Jets (8-8-3) their fourth straight win.

“Yeah, we heard everything,” New Jersey forward Cody Glass said. “It’s a crowd, it’s a passionate group, and like I said, that’s one we wanted for ‘Helle.’ It's tough to play those games and not come out on top, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”

Overall, it was a good night in Winnipeg.

“(Mercer and Daws) were pretty excited about going against their old team. They were fired up,” Arniel said. “ It wasn’t just an average or ordinary game for those two, it was something where they wanted to put their best foot forward. And they both did. They both were outstanding, which is great to see.

"We weren’t sure how this was going to all play out tonight. At the end of the day, it was a fun building, it was a loud building, and we got the two points, which is important.”