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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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New Jersey Devils goaltender revealed only some of the shocking reasons for his request that ultimately led the Jets to trade him weeks ago in his return to Winnipeg on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
“There was some moments and some things that happened to my family that for me crossed the line," Hellebuyck said at a press conference prior to the Devils-Jets game scheduled for later in the day. "There were a few moments that I don’t want to see happen again. It’s more than just online death threats and I’m gonna ask you to respect my privacy and my family’s privacy.
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"I won’t go deeper than that, but there’s more that made me and my family uncomfortable. On top of some uncertainty with my career, I felt a change of scenery was best.”
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On Sunday, New Jersey general manager Sunny Mehta announced that Hellebuyck would not play in the game, putting a damper on what fans hoped would be a climactic return to Winnipeg for the 33-year-old netminder.
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said the decision not to play Hellebuyck was neither his nor the goaltender's, but Mehta's.
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“The competitor in me of course wants to get Connor out there," Keefe said. "Let’s go, let’s get at it. But Sunny made the decision he didn’t want him to be a part of this.”
Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, is 5-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average in five games this season. The Jets acquired forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, forward Nick Bjugstad, the rights to unsigned draft choice forward Alexander Command, New Jersey’s own second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft and New Jersey’s own seventh-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft for Hellebuyck on Oct. 24.
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In a letter to Jets fans posted on his Instagram account, Hellebuyck acknowledged his request disappointed his supporters in Winnipeg.
“I understand those feelings, and I want everyone to know it was an extremely difficult decision,” he wrote. “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.”
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