Jets GM Cheveldayoff on Connor Hellebuyck trade: ‘I just want to get this right’
Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said there’s no timeline for a trade involving goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, whom the team suspended one day earlier for not reporting to training camp.
Speaking a press conference in Winnipeg Thursday, Cheveldayoff answered questions regarding Hellebuyck’s status and the timeline surrounding the three-time Vezina Trophy winner’s request for a trade from the team that drafted him 14 years earlier.
Asked when Hellebuyck officially requested the trade, Cheveldayoff confirmed it was during the team’s exit meetings following the 2025-26 season.
He was also asked about the chances of Hellebuyck returning to Winnipeg.
“No doors are closed,” he said. “He’s under contract for five more years. At the end of the day, that will be his choice.”
Last month, Hellebuyck released a statement through his agent, Ray Petkau, that he requested a trade from Winnipeg earlier in the offseason.
Cheveldayoff, who has served as general manager of the Jets since 2011, also touched on both his and the club’s relationship with Hellebuyck, who since entering the NHL 11 years ago has been one of the league’s best netminders.
“It can’t get emotional. It can’t get personal,” he said. “Connor Hellebuyck is part of our family until he isn’t part of our family. You don’t just say that. You have to believe it.”
In 2025-26, Hellebuyck went 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals against average (GAA) and .895 save percentage (SV%) in 57 appearances with Winnipeg. Through 11 NHL seasons, the 33-year-old goalie posted a 345-208-55 record with a .916 SV% and 2.58 GAA in 625 career games.
“Nothing at this point in time is final. It’s a procedural thing,” he later added. “We’ve been trying to make a trade that works for both sides for a long time now.”
Cheveldayoff also said “nothing at this point in time is final” and that Winnipeg has attempted to complete a deal that “works for both sides for a long time now.”
The Jets GM also said the team is in no rush to get a trade done.
“This isn’t necessarily a time thing for me,” Cheveldayoff said. “For me, I just want to get this right.”
“Unfortunately this situation is what it is,” he added. “We’re just looking to find a resolution that works for both sides.”
