The Winnipeg Jets will be without star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for the next 4-6 while he recovers from an arthroscopic procedure on his knee.
According to reports, Hellebuyck has been dealing with the issue since training camp, often feeling lingering discomfort following games. With the team hoping to go on a deep playoff run this season, the club felt it best to address it now, to ensure their Vezina winning netminder was 100% for the homestretch.
“It’s been 10 years, he’s been pretty healthy,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “This has kind of been nagging on him here since training camp. Something we’ve known about. He tried to play through it. There would be good days, bad days. Timing’s right to get it done now.”
Across 14 games for Winnipeg, Hellebuyck sports an 8-6 record, with a .913 SV%, and 2.51 GAA. With the Winter Olympics set to kick off in February, the timing also lines up for the American to be back to full health before Team USA heads over to Italy.
It’s been a slow start for the reigning President’s Trophy winners who are 12-8 on the year, and sit in 4th place in the Central Division. With a 5-5 record across their last 10 games played, they’ll hope that by correcting the ongoing knee pain, that Hellbuyck and co. will be able to get back to their winning ways when the calendar flips to 2026.
In a corresponding move, the Jets have recalled goaltender Thomas Milic from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Milic is expected to serve as the backup to Eric Comrie during Hellbuyck’s absence.
Up next for the Jets is a Sunday afternoon affair against the Minnesota Wild which will kick off at 4pm ET.
Photo: Jenn G. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.