Jets’ Scott Arniel reveals ‘hard’ part of Connor Hellebuyck not starting in Devils clash
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Jets’ Scott Arniel reveals ‘hard’ part of Connor Hellebuyck not starting in Devils clash appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Winnipeg Jets will welcome the New Jersey Devils to Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night for the first time since the Connor Hellebuyck trade — but almost inexplicably, the 33-year-old will not be between the pipes for the contest.
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Instead, the Devils will turn to Jake Allen, while Hellebuyck, who spent the first 11 years of his career in Manitoba, will watch from the bench.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from across the hockey world, and Jets head coach Scott Arniel chimed in on Monday.
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“It goes back to the ownership, it goes back to the fans, it goes back to the core guys that have been with Helly from the very beginning, who he kind of left on,” the bench boss told reporters, per TSN.
“That’s the part for me that’s hard, he just gave up on us, and so it would be nice to just finally be done with this. All it does is drag it out 10 or nine more games from now, we’re going to have to start into it and talk about it again here. That’s the biggest disappointment.”
Jets head coach Scott Arniel shares his thoughts on Connor Hellebuyck not starting in his return to Winnipeg. pic.twitter.com/fSBrsqTvRl
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 9, 2026
The Jets and Devils will play for the second and final time in 2026-27 on Nov. 28 in Newark.
New Jersey general manager Sunny Mehta announced the decision Sunday, and Hellebuyck also shared his thoughts, saying he was disappointed he wouldn’t be starting.
“We definitely had a conversation and I told them my thoughts on it and they told me theirs, and at the end of the day I have to listen to them and I can only push so hard,” Hellebuyck said. “I can only push so hard. I was adamant that I want to play, but it is what it is.”
Mehta said that starting Hellebuyck on Tuesday “would potentially give us a reduction in our expected win probability,” an explanation that has drawn widespread criticism.
Hellebuyck is 5-0-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .913 save percentage with the Devils, and he just shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Allen sports a 3.20 goals-against average and .881 save percentage.
It’s a bad look for the Devils, who should have let Hellebuyck face the music and move on. Instead, they’ve prolonged the storyline until the teams meet again at the end of the month — with no guarantee he’ll start that game, either.