Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck revealed Tuesday that threats to his family were a key reason he asked for a trade from the Winnipeg Jets.
Returning to Winnipeg for the first time since the Jets traded him to the New Jersey Devils, he told local media members that he needed to protect his family from online and other threats. The Jets host the Devils on Tuesday night.
“There were some moments and some things that happened to my family that, for me, crossed the line,” he said. “I needed to be a good husband, a good father and do what’s best for my family and my career.”
Hellebuyck and his wife, Andrea, are the parents of a son born in 2021 and a daughter who arrived in 2023, according to Sports Illustrated.
“There is more that made me and my family uncomfortable,” he continued. “I’m, please, going to ask you to respect my family’s privacy.”
He declined to discuss any specifics of the threats or if the threats originated in Winnipeg.
Hellebuyck announced his trade request on Aug. 27, disclosing he had asked the team for the move at the end of the 2025-26 regular season. He did not report to training camp, despite having five years remaining on his seven-year, $59.1 million contract.
“I’ve loved my time here but there are a few moments that I don’t want to see happen again,” Hellebuyck said Tuesday.
The Devils already announced that Hellebuyck will not start in goal in Winnipeg and that Jake Allen will start instead. Hellebuyck shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Sunday night.
Devils general manager Sunny Mehta issued a statement said that it was “an organizational decision” to keep Hellebuyck on the bench Tuesday.
“In our estimation, playing in this game would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability,” he said.
A Michigan native, Hellebuyck became a household name earlier this year after leading the United States to the gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Americans defeated Team Canada in the championship game, 2-1 in overtime.
He was among the U.S. players to visit the White House and meet President Donald Trump, who presented the goalie with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the time, Trump was immensely unpopular with Canadians over his implementation of tariffs and other reasons.
It is not known if the political climate was behind the threats.
On Oct. 23, Hellebuyck was traded to the Devils for forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, a second-round selection in 2029 and prospect Alexander Command, whom the Devils took with the 12th overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft.
In 625 games with the Jets, Hellebuyck had a 345-208-55 record with a 2.58 GAA and a .916 save percentage.
In five games with the Devils, Hellebuyck is 5-0 with a 1.96 GAA and a .913 save percentage.