Connor Hellebuyck will not play against the Jets when the Devils visit Winnipeg on Tuesday, Nov. 10, general manager Sunny Mehta said in a statement Sunday, according to Sportsnet.

Mehta said the organization debated the decision at length, despite Hellebuyck wanting to face his former team.

“Connor Hellebuyck was adamant that he felt a duty to play Tuesday in Winnipeg,” Mehta said.

The general manager said the Devils believed using Hellebuyck in the game “would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability.”

The announcement followed Hellebuyck’s first shutout with the Devils, a 4–0 victory over the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Sunday. He played back-to-back games over the weekend and improved his record with the Devils to 5–0.

The three-time Vezina Trophy winner requested a trade from Winnipeg over the summer. The Jets suspended him after he did not report to training camp, and he was traded to the Devils late last month, Sportsnet reported.

Mehta said Hellebuyck will speak with reporters in Winnipeg after Tuesday’s morning skate.

Sources