First game since April
Connor Hellebuyck is about to play his first NHL game in more than six months. New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that the goalie will start Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars, which will also be his first appearance in a Devils sweater.
The route here was messy. Hellebuyck sat out after what the league described as failing to report to training camp, and the suspension ended on Friday, the same day New Jersey completed the deal to bring him in from Winnipeg. His last game came on April 13.
At 33, he arrives with a résumé few goalies can match: three Vezina Trophies and the 2025 Hart Trophy as league MVP. He also stood tallest for the U.S. team that won Olympic gold in Milan Cortina, stopping 41 shots in a 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the final.
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A rough year to rebuild from
Last season did not look like those peaks. Hellebuyck went 23-23-11 with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage, the worst mark of his career, and Winnipeg missed the playoffs at 35-35-12.
The long view is kinder. Across 625 NHL games he owns a 345-208-55 record, 45 shutouts, a 2.58 GAA and a .916 save percentage. New Jersey is betting that last year was the outlier, and that a fresh start and a rested body bring the old numbers back.
Dallas is a real test for a first night back, with no preseason rhythm to lean on. How sharp he looks in the opening ten minutes will tell the Devils plenty.
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