Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck becomes third-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 wins

Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made history Tuesday night, stopping 26 shots in a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators and becoming the third-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 career regular-season wins.

Hellebuyck was able to achieve the feat in his 539th career game. The only goalies to reach the 300-win mark in fewer games were Andrei Vasilevskiy (490) and Jacques Plante (521). He also became the fastest American netminder to achieve the feat.

“Going through what the city has gone through the last couple of years and going through it with them and seeing how big we are in the community,” Hellebuyck said, “how much people care about us, I think it’s hard not to start to feel connected and as time grows it just grows stronger.”

Hellebuyck is now 25-6-2 with a .926 save percentage (SV%) and 2.08 goals against average (GAA) in 34 appearances with the Jets this season. The 31-year-old is coming off one of the best seasons of his 10-year career, going 37-19-4 with a .921 SV% and 2.39 GAA in 2023-24, earning his second Veznia Trophy.

Hellebuyck has a 300-179-43 record with a .917 SV% and 2.59 through 539 appearances. The Commerce, Mich., native was drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, and has since been named to three NHL All-Star teams.

The Jets are 28-12-2 with 58 points, first in the Central Division, the Western Conference and the entire league. The win also snapped a three-game losing streak they carried into Tuesday night.

Kyle Connor leads the team with 24 goals and 53 points, while Josh Morrissey has a team-leading 33 assists.

Winnipeg’s next game is Friday when they host the Los Angeles Kings.