NHL-Hellebuyck cites family circumstances in 'difficult' Jets trade request

Nov 3, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes a save during the overtime shootout against the Edmonton Oilers at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Nov 4 (Reuters) - American goalie ConnorHellebuyck ⁠said "challenging circumstances involving my family" led him to request a trade from the ⁠Winnipeg Jets, addressing fans in a letter on Wednesday ahead of his ‌return to the Canadian city.

Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie who alsohelped the US beat Canada in the gold medal game at the 2026 Olympics, sat out training camp and missed ​the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season before being ⁠sent to the New Jersey Devils ⁠in a blockbuster trade less than two weeks ago.

"I know my decision to request a ⁠trade ‌was disappointing and frustrating for many people, especially those who supported me throughout my career,” Hellebuyck wrote on Instagram ahead of the Devils' game at Winnipeg ⁠next Tuesday.

“I understand those feelings, and I want everyone to ​know it was an ‌extremely difficult decision.”

Hellebuyck publicly confirmed in August that he wanted to leave Winnipeg, ⁠saying at the ​time that he had requested a move "several months ago".

After helping the United States win Olympic gold, Hellebuyck and a number of his US teammates attended a White House reception hosted by President ⁠Donald Trump, who announced that the goalie would be ​awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedom.

The 33-year-oldHellebuyck, who holds the Jets franchise’s record for most wins (345) and shutouts (45), faced a backlash in Canada for the White House visit and said in ⁠March that while he could handle the criticism he was upset his wife had borne the brunt of it.

Hellebuyck, whois off to a 3-0 start with the Devils, thanked the entire Jets organization and the team's fans while also stopping short of divulging further ​details about his decision to seek a trade.

“There were several ⁠considerations that went into my decision, including some very challenging circumstances involving my family,” Hellebuyck wrote. “After ​a lot of thought and discussion, we ultimately felt ‌that making a change was the best ​thing for our family.

"We've chosen to keep those personal circumstances private, and I hope people can respect that."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)

Thank you for your report!

2026年11月3日；美国新泽西州纽瓦克；新泽西魔鬼队守门员康纳·赫勒拜克（37号）在保诚中心球馆与埃德蒙顿油人队的加时赛点球大战中扑救成功。图片来源：John Jones-Imagn Images（强制署名）

11 月 4 日（路透社）——美国守门员康纳·赫勒拜克 (Connor Hellebuyck) 表示，“由于家庭面临挑战性的情况”，他向温尼伯喷气机队提出交易申请。他在周三返回加拿大城市前夕，在一封致球迷的信中这样说道。

曾三次获得维齐纳奖（NHL最佳守门员奖）的赫勒布克，还帮助美国队在2026年冬奥会金牌争夺战中击败加拿大队，缺席了训练营，错过了2026-27赛季的开局几周，不到两周前，他在一笔重磅交易中被送往新泽西魔鬼队。

“我知道我要求交易的决定让很多人感到失望和沮丧，尤其是那些在我整个职业生涯中支持我的人，”赫勒布克在下周二魔鬼队客场挑战温尼伯喷气机队的比赛前在Instagram上写道。

“我理解这些感受，我想让大家知道这是一个极其艰难的决定。”

赫勒布克在 8 月份公开证实他想离开温尼伯，当时他说他“几个月前”就提出了转会要求。

在帮助美国队赢得奥运金牌后，赫勒布克和他的几位美国队友出席了由唐纳德·特朗普总统主持的白宫招待会，特朗普总统宣布将授予这位守门员总统自由勋章。

33 岁的赫勒布克保持着喷气机队历史上最多胜场（345 场）和零封场次（45 场）的纪录，他因访问白宫而在加拿大遭到强烈反对。他在 3 月份表示，虽然他可以承受批评，但他很沮丧他的妻子承受了大部分的批评。

赫勒布克在魔鬼队取得了 3 胜 0 负的开局，他感谢了喷气机队的全体成员和球迷，但并未透露更多关于他寻求交易的决定细节。

“我的决定是经过多方面考虑的，其中包括一些与我的家庭有关的非常棘手的情况，”赫勒布克写道。“经过深思熟虑和讨论，我们最终认为做出改变对我们家庭来说是最好的选择。”

“我们选择将这些个人情况保密，希望大家能够尊重这一点。”

（弗兰克·平格多伦多报道，托比·戴维斯编辑）

感谢您的报告！