The star goaltender was traded to New Jersey on Friday following a months-long standoff with the club.
asserted
goaltender → trade → club
From a fifth-round draft pick to NHL MVP and Olympic champion, here’s a look at the defining moments of his Jets career.
asserted
look → ’ → career
Winnipeg selects Hellebuyck in the fifth round, 130th overall, of the NHL draft.
asserted
Winnipeg → select → draft
He turns pro in 2014 after winning the Mike Richter Award as college hockey’s top goaltender at UMass-Lowell.
asserted
He → turn → Lowell
Hellebuyck makes 14 saves in his NHL debut as Winnipeg beats Minnesota 3-1.
asserted
Winnipeg → make → Minnesota
Hellebuyck records his first NHL shutout in his ninth game, stopping 30 shots in a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh.
asserted
Hellebuyck → record → Pittsburgh
Winnipeg places veteran Ondrej Pavelec on waivers, clearing the way for Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson to take over in net.
asserted
Hellebuyck → place → net
Hellebuyck makes 36 saves in a 5-1 Game 7 win over Nashville, sending Winnipeg to its first Western Conference final.
asserted
Hellebuyck → make → final
He had recorded his first playoff shutout against Minnesota weeks earlier.
asserted
He → record → Minnesota
Winnipeg’s playoff run ends with a 2-1 loss to expansion Vegas in Game 5 of the Western Conference final.
asserted
run → end → final
“I thought this was our year,” Hellebuyck says.
asserted
Hellebuyck → think → ?
Hellebuyck signs a six-year, US$37-million contract after setting franchise single-season records for wins, shutouts and save percentage.
asserted
Hellebuyck → sign → wins
Hellebuyck wins his first Vezina Trophy after leading NHL goaltenders in games played, shots faced, saves and shutouts.
asserted
Hellebuyck → win → games
Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele sign matching seven-year, US$59.5-million extensions, cementing their futures with the Jets.
asserted
Hellebuyck → sign → Jets
Winnipeg finishes with 52 wins and 110 points, matching its franchise record for victories.
asserted
Winnipeg → finish → victories
The Jets also earn the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals.
asserted
Jets → earn → goals
Colorado eliminates Winnipeg in five games, handing the Jets a second straight first-round playoff exit.
asserted
Colorado → eliminate → exit
Hellebuyck allows five goals on 31 shots in the deciding loss.
asserted
Hellebuyck → allow → loss
Hellebuyck wins his second Vezina Trophy after posting a 37-19-4 record, 2.39 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.
asserted
Hellebuyck → win → record
He receives 31 of 32 first-place votes.
asserted
He → receive → votes
Hellebuyck becomes the third-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 wins and the fastest U.S.-born netminder to hit the milestone.
asserted
Hellebuyck → become → milestone
Hellebuyck starts for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, but Canada’s Connor McDavid scores in overtime for a 3-2 victory.
asserted
McDavid → start → victory
Hellebuyck is named a Vezina finalist amid criticism of his playoff performance after being pulled in consecutive losses to St. Louis.
asserted
Hellebuyck → name → Louis
He vows to improve.
asserted
He → vow → ?
Hellebuyck is pulled for a third straight road game as St. Louis beats Winnipeg 5-2 in Game 6.
asserted
Louis → pull → Game
Coach Scott Arniel defends his goalie, saying, “Tonight was not about Connor.”
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Tonight → defend → Connor
Winnipeg’s season ends with a 2-1 overtime loss to Dallas in Game 6 of the second round.
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season → end → round
Hellebuyck makes 18 saves as the Presidents’ Trophy winners fall short of the Western Conference final.
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winners → make → final
Hellebuyck wins the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and his second straight Vezina Trophy, the third of his career.
asserted
Hellebuyck → win → career
He’s the first goalie to win the Hart since Montreal’s Carey Price in 2015.
asserted
He → ’ → 2015
Winnipeg announces Hellebuyck will miss four to six weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery, less than three months before the Milan Olympics.
asserted
Hellebuyck → announce → Olympics
Hellebuyck makes 41 saves as the United States beats Canada 2-1 in overtime for Olympic gold.
asserted
States → make → gold
It’s the Americans’ first men’s hockey title since 1980.
asserted
It → ’ → 1980
Hellebuyck visits the White House with U.S. teammates and is recognized during U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
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Hellebuyck → visit → address
Trump announces Hellebuyck will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
asserted
Hellebuyck → announce → Freedom
Hellebuyck later faces backlash in Winnipeg and online.
asserted
Hellebuyck → face → Winnipeg
Hellebuyck calls Winnipeg’s season “unacceptable” after the Jets miss the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
asserted
Jets → call → Trophy
He finishes 23-23-11 with a .895 save percentage.
asserted
He → finish → percentage
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff confirms he’s listening to trade offers for Hellebuyck, but won’t say whether the goaltender has requested a move.
asserted
goaltender → confirm → move
Hellebuyck publicly requests a trade through agent Ray Petkau, revealing he privately asked to be moved several months earlier.
asserted
he → request → Petkau
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
