Connor Hellebuyck spoke in Winnipeg this morning, hours before his Devils face the Jets, and said things happened to his family that crossed the line.
The goalie the Jets drafted in 2012 is back at Canada Life Centre tonight with New Jersey. He won't be in the crease, and Connor Hellebuyck's return to Winnipeg was already shaping up as one of the most awkward nights of the season.
Hellebuyck met the media and kept the details to himself. "There was some moments and some things that happened to my family that for me crossed the line … There were a few moments that I don't want to see happen again," he said.
He added that it went beyond online abuse. "It's more than just online death threats and I'm gonna ask you to respect my privacy and my family's privacy, I won't go deeper than that, but there's more that made me and my family uncomfortable."
He also pointed to his career. "On top of some uncertainty with my career, I felt a change of scenery was best."
Pressed for more, he said he needed to be "a good husband and good father, and do what's best for my family and my career."
Did Hellebuyck really explain his trade request?
Not in any way a Jets fan can check. He named no incident and no person, and he asked for privacy. His comments about the US and Canada were just as general: he said he has never gotten into politics deeply and loved playing in Canada.
Kyle Connor, who played with Hellebuyck for the Jets, told reporters he received no threats from fans. That doesn't erase what Hellebuyck says his family went through, but it leaves the two accounts far apart, and Hellebuyck offered nothing to close the gap.
The Devils' side is just as murky. Sheldon Keefe said Hellebuyck wanted to start in Winnipeg tonight, but GM Sunny Mehta made the call. Keefe's explanations have shifted all week, as we noted when Sheldon Keefe's reasoning on the Hellebuyck decision kept changing.
Here's the opinion: sitting him was a poor choice. New Jersey is 13-5-0 with five straight wins, and the goalie wanted to face his old team. Giving him the start would have cost the Devils nothing and might have taken some heat off the night.
Instead, the story is now about who is in net and who isn't. Winnipeg, 7-8-3 and winners of three straight, gets a Devils team that has lost once in its last 10. Hellebuyck will hear it from the stands tonight either way.
Quick hits
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Dan Kingerski just revealed new lines after practice in Anaheim, and Nicholas Robertson is getting a promotion. A new injury is also looming. Pittsburgh's lineup is moving again.
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LOS ANGELES KINGS: RotoWire lists Anton Forsberg as the starter tonight against the Predators. Darcy Kuemper's status is still unclear, and that is the real question here.
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UTAH MAMMOTH: RotoWire has Dylan Guenther as questionable for Wednesday's game at Vegas. A winger being unavailable would shake up the Mammoth lineup.
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NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock were all in regular practice jerseys in San Jose this morning, according to Andrew Gross. That's a welcome sight for the Islanders.
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This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Devils have let Connor Hellebuyck start in Winnipeg?
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