The Winnipeg Jets went from the NHL‘s finest file a 12 months in the past to lacking the playoffs completely throughout the 2025-26 season. That could be a staggering regression, and there have been a whole lot of issues that led to it. Now that the season is over, Winnipeg has an excellent larger downside on its fingers relating to its future groups.
The issue?
Its finest and most necessary participant, beginning goalie Connor Hellebuyck, appears to be sad with the course of the franchise and completely eviscerated your complete group throughout his end-of-the-year media availability on Friday.
Connor Hellebuyck calls out everyone in Winnipeg
Despite the fact that the Jets have received a whole lot of video games over the previous few years and been a constant playoff workforce, there have at all times been underlying flaws with the roster which have been repeatedly masked by Hellebuyck’s all-world play. He’s a three-time Vezina Trophy winner because the league’s finest goalie and took residence the Hart Trophy a 12 months in the past because the league MVP.
As he goes, the workforce goes. Often.
Regardless of Hellebuyck having one other robust season, Winnipeg nonetheless missed the playoffs in a weak, watered-down Western Convention the place 90 factors was all it will have taken to get in.
On Friday, Hellebuyck sounded off on everyone answerable for setting up the workforce for permitting that to occur, whereas additionally hesitating to reply when requested if he’s reconsidering his future with the workforce.
Amongst his criticisms and issues have been the power of administration to convey gamers to Winnipeg and make them wish to play there, whereas saying that complacency on the a part of the entrance workplace will not be going to get the job accomplished.
When he was requested instantly about reconsidering his future there, he gave a brutally sincere reply.
“I don’t wish to go and go away any hypothesis,” Hellebuyck stated after a number of seconds. “I really like this metropolis, and I really like taking part in right here. The followers have given me a lot, and I’ve given a lot to the followers. There’s an actual connection there. I want extra individuals across the league would see that and will see that. Am I going to go in and let you know that proper now I really feel superb about successful a Cup tomorrow? Like, no. No workforce out of the playoffs goes to say that. No participant out of the playoffs goes to say that. However, you recognize, you make your selections, and you reside by them. As time goes by, you attempt to re-evaluate after which, truthfully, as an athlete, the one factor you are able to do is put your finest foot ahead.
“On this second, after going by that, it’s laborious,” Hellebuyck continued. “It’s the following day. To rapidly come over right here and say, ‘We’re going to be superb subsequent 12 months after we simply did that (miss the playoffs).’ That’s simply not the way it works … to take the step again that we did this 12 months simply felt very incorrect. From the Presidents’ Trophy to this, it felt like this could have by no means occurred. And it did. And I’m a part of it.”
Hellebuyck goes to be 33 years previous subsequent season and has spent his total profession in Winnipeg. Exterior of his gold-medal-winning efficiency with Workforce USA on the 2026 Olympics, he has not discovered any actual workforce success regardless of being one of many two or three finest goalies on this planet for the higher a part of his profession. He’s now nearer to retirement than he’s the start of his profession, and he’s working out of time to get his identify on the Stanley Cup.
Winnipeg has constantly failed in placing the kind of workforce round him that may win, and administration has been constantly sluggish to make modifications to the roster that may higher help their franchise goalie. He is perhaps working out of persistence for them to do it.
“What we did this 12 months was unacceptable. Nobody desires to be a part of that. … Are you able to get the items that you simply want? Will the gamers come? These are at all times questions that you’ve got in Winnipeg. I’ve made it my residence and I prefer it right here, however the majority of the league doesn’t really feel the identical method,” Hellebuyck continued.
The Jets have been already in a state of affairs the place it was going to want to make main modifications this offseason. If they aren’t cautious and are unable to easy issues over, that would additionally contain a change with their franchise goalie.
