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Hellebuyck Pens Letter to Winnipeg Jets Fans

New Jersey Devils goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

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Hellebuyck Pens Letter to Winnipeg Jets Fans

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Declan Schroeder | Last updated Nov 4, 2026 12:35 PM ET

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Nearly two weeks after being traded to the New Jersey Devils, Connor Hellebuyck has broken his silence to Winnipeg Jets fans… sort of.

The goaltender, who infamously demanded a trade and refused to report to the Jets to start this season, shared a letter on his Instagram account Wednesday.

“I’ll Never Forget the Pride I Felt Representing Winnipeg”

“When I think about my years in Winnipeg, I’ll always be grateful for the life my family and I built there and for the people who became such an important part of it,” Hellebuyck, who the Jets drafted 130th overall in 2012, wrote.

“One of the things I’ve always loved about Manitoba is the connection people have to the outdoors. With so many beautiful lakes and places to enjoy nature, it’s a special part of life there. Some of my favourite memories away from the rink will always be the time I spent on the water fishing.”

“I know my decision to request a trade was disappointing and frustrating for many people, especially those who supported me throughout my career. I understand those feelings, and I want everyone to know it was an extremely difficult decision. There were several considerations that went into my decision, including some very challenging circumstances involving my family. After a lot of thought and discussion, we ultimately felt that making a change was the best thing for our family. We’ve chosen to keep those personal circumstances private, and I hope people can respect that. I’m sincerely grateful to Mark Chipman, Kevin Cheveldayoff and the entire Jets organization for the opportunity they gave me and the trust they showed in me over the years.”

“To my teammates, coaches, trainers, equipment staff and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for your friendships, support and memories that I will always carry with me. To the great Jets fans who supported me and my family, thank you. I’ll never forget the pride I felt representing Winnipeg, and I wish the Jets and the entire community nothing but the best.”

Hellebuyck’s Letter of Thanks Vague, Generic (And Possibly AI Generated)

Overall, the letter is likely to move the needle among Jets fans, given how bland it is in its gratitude and how vague it is regarding his reasons for wanting out of Winnipeg. His claim that he has great respect for the organization and felt pride playing for it directly contradicts his actions over the past number of months.

His claim of “very challenging circumstances surrounding my family” adds a wrinkle to the story, but there’s not much that can be taken from it considering his unwillingness to provide specifics or actually speak to the media on. It’s unknown whether this reference is to the alleged threats he and his family received after he went to the White House to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Donald Trump in the wake of his Olympic gold medal win, or something else.

While AI detectors can be flawed, this writer ran the letter through the Pangram AI detector due to its genericness. The program indicated that 89 per cent of the letter was written by AI. If indeed written by a human, it certainly doesn’t break much new ground, nor was it worth the wait.

Hellebuyck returns to Winnipeg for the first time as a member of the Devils on Nov. 10, and is likely to receive an extremely-hostile reception and be the subject of many boos and creative chants throughout the evening.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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