The top goaltender in the NHL for the past several seasons, Winnipeg Jets starter Connor Hellebuyck, is being shut down for the next four to six weeks.
Hellebuyck is set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Saturday, meaning he will not be available when the Jets come to Washington, DC, to play the Capitals next week. Jets head coach Scott Arniel announced the news on Friday morning.
“It was just something that the timing is right,” Arniel said. “Get it done now. We have a lot of schedule ahead of us. We sat down and talked to him, the medical staff, everybody, the agent. This was just the time to do it.”
Hellebuyck, who is the top candidate to start for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender last season, leading the Jets to the Presidents’ Trophy. This season, the American backstop is 8-6 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Eric Comrie is set to become Winnipeg’s new number-one for the time being. Comrie is 4-1 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. The Jets recalled goalie Thomas Milic from the Manitoba Moose to serve as Comrie’s backup.
The Jets are currently third in the Central Division with a 12-7-0 record. They’re looking to extend their current two-game winning streak against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
S/T to the Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson for originally sharing on X