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Craig Carton defends Devils' decision to sit Connor Hellebuyck for his return to Winnipeg

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Cite

Reigle, M. (2026, November 11). Craig Carton defends Devils' decision to sit Connor Hellebuyck for his return to Winnipeg. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/craig-carton-defends-devils-decision-sit-connor-hellebuyck-return-winnipeg

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Fox News · collected 2026-11-11 · by Matt Reigle

Quick Summary

Craig Carton, host of OutKick's "The Craig Carton Show," defended the New Jersey Devils' decision not to play goalie Connor Hellebuyck when he returned to Winnipeg on Tuesday night. Carton argued that the Devils protected Hellebuyck from potential threats and abusive fans after his trade from the Jets following criticism and death threats related to his performance in international games. He emphasized the need for safety over traditional hockey bravado, calling Hellebuyck an "American hero" who should be supported regardless of fan reaction in Winnipeg.
Written by AI on 2026-11-12, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).
See how they differ ↓

AI analysis

Story summary

Connor Hellebuyck, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner and former MVP, did not play in goal during his return to Winnipeg on Tuesday night. Despite making 23 saves in a shutout against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hellebuyck was benched by the New Jersey Devils based on an internal decision citing a "reduction in expected win probability." This move sparked outrage among Winnipeg Jets fans who had been anticipating his return since he requested a trade from the team earlier this month. During warm-ups and the game, fans chanted derogatory phrases like “coward” and “Trump's your daddy,” reflecting their disappointment and anger towards Hellebuyck’s decision to leave the Jets after signing a seven-year contract extension just two years prior. The Devils' controversial choice not to play their star goalie led to significant backlash both online and in the arena, highlighting the emotional connection fans had with Hellebuyck during his 12-season tenure with Winnipeg.

Written for “Connor Hellebuyck Returns to Winnipeg” on 2026-11-13, grounded in this article and the 18 other(s) covering the same event.

How they differ

6 outlets covered “Connor Hellebuyck Returns to Winnipeg”.

What each outlet says

One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.

Fox NewsThis outlet11 Nov

Craig Carton, host of OutKick's "The Craig Carton Show," defended the New Jersey Devils' decision not to play goalie Connor Hellebuyck when he returned to Winnipeg on Tuesday night. Carton argued that the Devils protected Hellebuyck from potential threats and abusive fans after his trade from the Jets following criticism and death threats related to his performance in international games. He emphasized the need for…

Craig Carton defends Devils' decision to sit Connor Hellebuyck for his return to Winnipeg (this article)4 articles from Fox News on this story
Toronto Star11 Nov

Dawson Mercer and Kyle Connor each scored twice as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Tuesday night. Former Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck did not play for the Devils in this game. Jake Allen made 21 saves for New Jersey, while Nico Daws stopped 19 shots for Winnipeg. Cody Glass and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, who had a five-game winning streak before this loss. The Jets extended…

NHL roundup: Former Devils help soaring Jets sink New Jersey 4-2 →6 articles from Toronto Star on this story
Global News11 Nov

On November 10, the Winnipeg Jets defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-2 in a game marred by the absence of traded goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Fans booed Hellebuyck during warm-ups and chanted throughout the game. The former Devils player Dawson Mercer scored twice for Winnipeg, while Mark Scheifele contributed an assist on a power-play goal to extend the lead. Despite New Jersey’s efforts, they couldn’t overcome…

Mercer scores twice as Winnipeg Jets double Hellebuyck-less Devils 4-2 →3 articles from Global News on this story
Toronto Sun11 Nov

Jets fans returned to Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night to face their former team’s new goalie, Connor Hellebuyck of the New Jersey Devils. Despite not playing due to “analytical” reasons, Hellebuyck faced a barrage of chants ranging from mean-spirited to humorous, including "Helle sucks" and “Signed in pencil,” referencing his trade request despite signing a long-term contract with Winnipeg. The crowd also…

Jets fans unleash their best Connor Hellebuyck roasts in Winnipeg return →3 articles from Toronto Sun on this story
CBC10 Nov

Connor Hellebuyck will hold a press conference in Winnipeg, his first return since being traded to the New Jersey Devils last month. CBC News will livestream the event starting around 12:15 p.m., following the morning skate at Canada Life Centre. Hellebuyck intends to address why he left Winnipeg despite previously declaring his commitment to the team. Fans and the Jets organization hope for closure, but Hellebuyck…

Connor Hellebuyck to speak to media in 1st return to Winnipeg since trade →2 articles from CBC on this story
New York Post11 Nov

Connor Hellebuyck faced loud boos and jeers from Winnipeg Jets fans during his return to Canada Life Centre just weeks after being traded to the New Jersey Devils. Fans chanted derogatory phrases like "Helle sucks!" and called him a coward, holding signs with mocking messages such as “Softer Than Charmin.” The game ended in a 4-2 win for the Jets, with some fans chanting to pull their goalie. Hellebuyck had…

Connor Hellebuyck called ‘coward’ as he’s mercilessly booed, trolled in Winnipeg return →

Where they agree and split

Framing

How the first headlines put it

Attributed to a source1
Stated as fact4
The headlines (5)

Hellebuyck willing to face the music, but Devils say he won't play game in Winnipeg CBC · attributed to a source

Devils GM Mehta: Hellebuyck won't play Tuesday in Winnipeg Toronto Star · stated as fact

Devils’ Hellebuyck won’t play Tuesday in Winnipeg Global News · stated as fact

Why Connor Hellebuyck fought the decision to sit him Tuesday in Winnipeg Toronto Sun · stated as fact

Devils to sit star goalie vs his former team over 'win probability,' leaving NHL fans bewildered Fox News · stated as fact

The full story: what happened, how it changed, and all 19 articles →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Global News
Hedges 0 of 35 claims Outlet record 63/100
“Article A reports on Hellebuyck's absence from the game due to an organizational decision, while Article B discusses reactions and opinions regarding the decision made in Article A.”
Toronto Sun
Hedges 0 of 37 claims Outlet record 96/100
“While both articles discuss the decision to sit Connor Hellebuyck for his return to Winnipeg, they describe different aspects or reactions to the incident and do not clearly cover the identical news event.”
Fox News
Hedges 0 of 21 claims Outlet record 67/100
CBC News
Hedges 2 of 43 claims Outlet record 71/100
Toronto Sun
Hedges 1 of 31 claims Outlet record 96/100
“The articles describe different aspects of Hellebuyck's return to Winnipeg; one covers his booing during pre-game warmups, while the other discusses a controversial decision not to play him in the game.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 6 of 57 claims Outlet record 64/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 20 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A describes the hockey game between Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils, while Article B discusses the decision to sit Connor Hellebuyck for his return to Winnipeg. They are related but describe different specific events.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 67 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A describes the game itself and its outcome, while Article B discusses the controversy surrounding Hellebuyck's absence from the game.”
Toronto Sun
Hedges 0 of 40 claims Outlet record 96/100
Fox News
Hedges 2 of 15 claims Outlet record 67/100
“While both articles discuss Connor Hellebuyck's return to Winnipeg and his absence from playing, Article A focuses on Hellebuyck's press conference and context of his departure, while Article B primarily discusses the controversy around the Devils' decision not to play him.”

Story

Connor Hellebuyck Returns to Winnipeg
Sports · 19 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
25
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
2 of 25 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
67/100
Fox News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
19
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-12 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Fox News · 7495 article(s) · 14 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 14 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Matt Reigle
74 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
The move was controversial to say the least, with the Devils GM saying the former Jet wouldn't start because, for some reason, playing a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and former league MVP reduced the team's winning probability.
"This will be my ninth surgery," Vonn said in the video.
The New Jersey Devils are in Winnipeg to take on the Jets Tuesday night in what will be goaltender Connor Hellebuyck's return to the city.
You hear people say that they like watching hockey for the fights, and if that's you, maybe consider checking out some Brazilian U20 soccer.
Automobiles" would tell Halloween to pound sand, skip Thanksgiving like some soulless red-headed holiday stepchild and go straight to Christmas.
Surely, some partial relief from student loans would put butts in seats for a Halloween matinee against the Illinois Illini, right?
If you're a doctor, it might seem like a good idea to dress like a Minion on Halloween.
This has to be one of the scariest Halloweens on record for SMU fans, after a shocking loss to Syracuse has seriously hurt their shot at an ACC Championship Game appearance, and may have also ended their chance at a College Football Playoff appearance.
A championship parade comes after all the hard work is done ... or at least that's what most of us would think.
Former point guard Jason Williams — who spent 12 seasons in the league with the Grizzlies, Kings, Heat and Magic — co-
Also by Matt Reigle
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 74 articles by Matt Reigle →

Topics

American Canada Devils Winnipeg the New Jersey Devils

Subjects

American NORP · 7× Connor Hellebuyck PERSON · 5× Winnipeg GPE · 5× Canada GPE · 2× Craig Carton PERSON · 2× Devils ORG · 2× Hellebuyck PERSON · 2× the New Jersey Devils ORG · 2× New Jersey Devils ORG · 1× Team USA ORG · 1×

Narrative

The move was controversial to say the least, with the Devils GM saying the former Jet wouldn't start because, for some reason, playing a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and former league MVP reduced the team's winning probability.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-12
The move was controversial to say the least, with the Devils GM saying the former Jet wouldn't start because, for some reason, playing a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and former league MVP reduced the team's winning probability.

Claims (25 extracted, 2 hedged)

Team USA hero and New Jersey Devils goalie (still feels odd to say that) Connor Hellebuyck made his highly anticipated return to Winnipeg on Tuesday night, only he wasn't in net. asserted
he → feel → net
The move was controversial to say the least, with the Devils GM saying the former Jet wouldn't start because, for some reason, playing a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and former league MVP reduced the team's winning probability. asserted
playing → say → probability
However, OutKick's Craig Carton said on Wednesday's edition of "The Craig Carton Show" that the team did the right thing by keeping their star netminder off the ice. asserted
team → say → ice
"I am not a fan of hockey, but I am a fan of my country; F— you, Winnipeg," Carton said. asserted
Carton → say → you
"American hero Connor Hellebuyck — one of the great goalies on the planet today — received death threats while playing in Winnipeg." asserted
Hellebuyck → receive → Winnipeg
He talked about how this led to Hellebuyck requesting a trade. asserted
Hellebuyck → talk → trade
"It was so bad for the American hero that is Connor Hellebuyck that he had to ask for a trade out of Winnipeg," he said. asserted
he → have → Winnipeg
"Not because he didn't like playing for the organization. asserted
he → like → organization
He loved that organization. asserted
He → love → organization
He bled for that organization. asserted
He → bleed → organization
He sweated for that organization. asserted
He → sweat → organization
He cried for that organization. asserted
He → cry → organization
And merely because he bested the Canadian national team. asserted
he → best → team
They threatened to kill him. asserted
They → threaten → him
They threatened his wife. asserted
They → threaten → wife
They threatened his beautiful children. asserted
They → threaten → children
They even threatened his dog. asserted
They → threaten → dog
And then he gets traded to the New Jersey Devils. asserted
he → trade → Devils
Hellebuyck was booed during warmups and was on the receiving end of taunts all night despite not being on the ice. asserted
Hellebuyck → boo → ice
"Under an abundance of caution, the New Jersey Devils did the safe and right thing, even if it wasn't the manly thing hockey players would want them to do," he said. asserted
he → do → thing
"They protected an American icon from a lunatic in Winnipeg who might think they're doing what's right for their country by taking out the great American goaltender." uncertain
what → protect → goaltender
The Devils and Jets will meet again later this month, only it will be back in New Jersey. asserted
it → meet → Jersey
I want to say this to you, Connor Hellebuyck: I, Craig Carton, as a proud American, fully support you[1]. asserted
I → want → you[1
I may not like hockey, but I'm going to start watching it when you decide to start playing again," he said. uncertain
he → like → it
"Connor Hellebuyck is an American icon and an American hero, and he should be treated as such." asserted
he → treat → ?
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