About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his 12 years as an NHL goalie, Connor Hellebuyck has strung together quite the resumé.
Since winning the Mike Richter Award, recognizing the strongest goalie in the NCAA, in 2014, he's become a three-time Vezina Trophy winner (2020, 2024, 2025), the first American-born netminder to win the Hart Trophy as the league-wide MVP (2025), and a three-time NHL All Star (2020, 2024, 2025). He's twice recorded the lowest goals against average across the NHL (2024, 2025), and most recently, he backstopped the United States men to their first Olympic gold since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" Games.
But there's one honor that has evaded Hellebuyck so far: a Stanley Cup.
The 33-year-old said he believes that New Jersey is where he'll finally achieve that goal.
"[New Jersey's plan] aligns perfectly with where I'm at in my career. I'm here to win, and the only thing I've got left on my resume is a Stanley Cup," Hellebuyck said at his first news conference as a Devil on Saturday. "Seeing that these guys have got their vision tight on that as well, it's just going to fit perfectly."
Hellebuyck joins the Devils after a months-long trade saga that began after he requested to be moved from the Winnipeg Jets this summer. When the offseason came to a close with no agreement in sight, Hellebuyck failed to report to training camp on time, resulting in his suspension from the team.
The suspension was set to end on Friday. Instead, Hellebuyck found himself headed to the other side of the continent in a new set of colors.
He hasn't played an NHL game since April 13, a 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. While he admits that his self-managed personal practices over the last several weeks don't quite match up to the NHL-caliber environment he's been missing, Hellebuyck is confident he'll find his ice legs again soon enough.
"I don't think, at this point in my career, it's going to take me long," he said. "That being said, I think that's just one of those challenges. You adapt, and you adapt quick, but I thankfully have some experience under my belt."
Rumors swirled as the 2026-27 campaign got underway about which teams were interested in Hellebuyck. Though he has struggled in the playoffs historically, posting a 24-34 record across seven postseason campaigns, he offers a reliable veteran presence in net that could offer a significant boost to many teams around the league.
Hellebuyck entered the negotiation period with a complete no-movement clause, giving him full control over his destination. He said he was drawn to New Jersey due to the organization's skill, size on defense, culture, and willingness "to do whatever it takes" to earn a championship.
"Sitting at home for so long was getting to me," he said. "I'm joining a very skilled group. I know that they're bringing me in for a really specific role, and I'm really excited to try to fill that role — not only on the ice, but off the ice as well ... There's nothing to not be excited about."
The trade — which sent three players, a prospect drafted just this summer, and two draft picks to Winnipeg — slashed New Jersey's forward pool . But Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said Hellebuyck was worth it, especially if it means earning the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 2003.
"Everything is about winning," said Mehta, who the Devils hired on April 16. "Everything is trying to make this team better every single day. That's been my goal since I got here."
Source: Sports
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