Mike McIntyre just reported that the Jets did not run a video tribute for Connor Hellebuyck tonight as the Devils visit Winnipeg.
The game is live as we write, with the third period at the 9:18 mark, but the moment many fans were waiting for never came. Winnipeg's crowd didn't get a chance to weigh in on Connor Hellebuyck's return. Hellebuyck stayed in the locker room.
McIntyre noted that he suspects a tribute would have been shown if Hellebuyck were playing, or even sitting on the bench or in the tunnel the way a backup normally does.
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According to McIntyre, Hellebuyck is in a room watching the game on a monitor, which he said is his usual routine. That detail matters. The goalie is not at the end of the bench, so there was no obvious moment to put him on the video board and no way to cut to a reaction.
Nobody has said why there was no tribute, and we won't guess. The Jets haven't addressed it in anything we have seen.
Hellebuyck was drafted by Winnipeg in 2012, in the fifth round, 130th overall. He has 630 NHL regular-season games over his career. A homecoming for a goalie with that résumé would normally get a video and a standing ovation, the way it does for most longtime players.
This isn't a normal homecoming. Hellebuyck spoke in Winnipeg this morning and said things happened to his family that crossed the line. Seravalli also reported that he did not tell the Jets about threats beyond online abuse.
Was skipping the tribute the right call?
Given that backdrop, yes. A video package in that building tonight could have turned a tense night into a bigger scene, and nobody with the Jets wanted that. Whether it was a deliberate choice or just logistics, the silence is easier to defend than a tribute would have been.
But it will be read as a message either way. Fans on both sides will take it as a verdict on how the relationship ended, and nobody in the organization has said a word to shape that.
For the Devils, the focus is the game. They have won five straight and sit 13-5-0, second in the Metropolitan Division, so the standings are not what they came to Winnipeg to worry about.
New Jersey is back in action Thursday against Washington. Where Hellebuyck is when that game starts, and what he says about tonight, is the next thing to watch.
Quick hits
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Anthony Di Marco just reported that the Flyers are open to moving Cam York if the right deal comes along. That is a name to track as the trade market warms up.
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WINNIPEG JETS: Mark Scheifele tied Dale Hawerchuk and Blake Wheeler for second on the Jets' all-time assist list with his 550th tonight. Not bad company for a night with a lot going on.
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MINNESOTA WILD: Elliotte Friedman says the Wild's push for Dylan Larkin is at a standstill, according to NHLTradeAlert. Minnesota's search for a big center continues.
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NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Mike McIntyre reported that Johnathan Kovacevic's left knee appeared to buckle after a hit from Winnipeg's Tyrel Bauer, and the Devils defenseman left the game. An update is needed.
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SAN JOSE SHARKS: Darren Dreger said tonight on OverDrive that Kris Draper is on a California tour, and the Sharks were his stop last night. The Edvinsson chase is on.
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This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Jets have honored Connor Hellebuyck with a video tribute anyway?
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