WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Connor Hellebuyck will knock on Scott Arniel’s door or pull his head coach aside for a brief chat. The Winnipeg Jets goaltender usually has one specific question before a road trip.
“What days we have off and should he bring his fishing gear?” Arniel said with a smile. “He’s extremely focused there … and then when he gets to the rink, he does not want to get scored on.”
Opponents have once again found that a challenge in 2024-25.
The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is on course to secure another nod as the NHL’s top goaltender and firmly entrenched in the league’s MVP conversation with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The numbers are impressive. The accolades for a club atop the standings are nice.
The 31-year-old American, however, has just one prize in mind — the Stanley Cup.
“The only goal I have left,” Hellebuyck told the Canadian Press following a recent practice. “All the guys in that locker room feel the same way.”
The Commerce, Michigan, native leads the league with a 43-12-3 record, .924 save percentage, 2.03 goals-against average and seven shutouts going into Monday's game against St. Louis.
The Vezina winner in 2019-20 and again last season has impressed teammates by raising his own bar and injecting his name into the Hart Trophy mix alongside the likes of Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl and Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon.
“We always think that he’s reached his potential,” Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said. “Then he goes out and does something new and proves that he always has more ceiling and areas to grow. We’re so fortunate to have him. A stabilizing force.”
Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry said Hellebuyck, whose big-money contract extension signed in October 2023 ties him to the Manitoba capital through 2030-31, hasn’t garnered the attention the netminder has truly deserved throughout his career.
“He’s able to anticipate,” Lowry said. “He’s so positionally sound that he gets to where he needs to be. Other goalies are maybe making desperation saves.”
“Makes it look easy,” Morrissey added. “It’s not easy.”
The Jets have also made crease life less chaotic for Hellebuyck with improved structure. Hellebuyck faced 2,155 shots in 2021-22 before former head coach Rick Bowness, who retired last May, took over in 2022-23. The shot number dropped to 1,964 that season and fell further to 1,798 in 2023-24. Hellebuyck has seen 1,561 pucks fired his direction through 59 games in Arniel’s first campaign.
“We hurt Helly’s stats in the past because he was so good and we played very loose,” Lowry said. “Even the best goalie in the world, the best shooters are going to beat him sometimes, especially from dangerous areas. We’ve really got a huge buy-in from the group and are committed to team defense. He’s the anchor.”
Hellebuyck could become the first goaltender to win the Hart as NHL MVP since Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens in 2014-15.
Lowry sees style parallels with the netminders.
“The game almost looks boring to them,” he said. “It’s smooth. It’s that inner drive where (Hellebuyck’s) working off the ice trying to perfect his movement. I don’t expect his aspirations or his pursuit of perfection to decrease. It’s only going to continue to increase until we reach that ultimate goal.”
“His competitiveness,” Arniel added of what stands out about the netminder’s approach. “His attention to detail about what he does every day.”
Hellebuyck, who backstopped the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off, said the group in front of him is playing with a new level of belief despite losing in the first round of the playoffs the last two springs after failing to qualify in 2021-22.
“Every game is a chance to build,” he said. “We’re all playing with a lot of confidence. It’s not just stretches of confidence. It’s locked in.”
Winnipeg is on track to face Minnesota or St. Louis in the first round of the playoffs. And if the Jets, whose last deep postseason run came when the franchise made the 2018 Western Conference final, can get past that test, either Dallas or Colorado — fellow Central Division heavyweights — will be waiting.
Landing another Vezina or capturing a first Hart could be in cards. Hockey’s holy grail, however, is the sole target for Hellebuyck.
“The only thing we want to achieve,” he said. “Feels like we’re gonna go out and get things done.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes a save with his skate against a shot by Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) protects the net during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Utah Hockey Club, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
