As MVP buzz builds, Hellebuyck says his main focus is backstopping Jets to a Stanley Cup

Joshua Clipperton · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 5:19 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Connor Hellebuyck volition sound connected Scott Arniel's doorway oregon propulsion his caput manager speech for a little chat.

The Winnipeg Jets goaltender usually has 1 circumstantial question earlier a roadworthy trip.

"What days we person off, and should helium bring his sportfishing gear?" Arniel said with a smile. "He's highly focused determination … and past erstwhile helium gets to the rink, helium does not privation to get scored on."

Opponents person erstwhile again recovered that a situation successful 2024-25.

The two-time Vezina Trophy victor is not lone connected people to unafraid different motion arsenic the NHL's apical goaltender — Hellebuyck is firmly entrenched successful the league's MVP speech with little than 2 weeks remaining successful the regular season.

The numbers are impressive. The accolades for a nine atop the standings are nice.

The 31-year-old, however, has conscionable 1 prize successful caput — the Stanley Cup.

"The lone extremity I person left," Hellebuyck said pursuing a caller practice. "All the guys successful that locker country consciousness the aforesaid way."

The Commerce, Mich., merchandise leads the league with a 43-11-3 record, .924 prevention percentage, 2.02 goals-against mean and 7 shutouts.

The Vezina victor successful 2019-20 and again past play has impressed teammates by raising his ain barroom and injecting his sanction into the Hart Trophy premix alongside the likes of Edmonton Oilers prima centre Leon Draisaitl and Colorado Avalanche counterpart Nathan MacKinnon.

"We ever deliberation that he's reached his potential," Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said. "Then helium goes retired and does thing caller and proves that helium ever has much ceiling and areas to grow. We're truthful fortunate to person him.

"A stabilizing force."

Winnipeg skipper Adam Lowry said Hellebuyck, whose big-money declaration hold signed successful October 2023 ties him to the Manitoba superior done 2030-31, hasn't garnered the attraction the netminder has genuinely deserved passim his career.

"He's capable to anticipate," Lowry said. "He's truthful positionally dependable that helium gets to wherever helium needs to be. Other goalies are possibly making desperation saves."

"Makes it look easy," Morrissey added. "It's not easy."

The Jets person besides made crease beingness little chaotic for Hellebuyck with improved structure. Hellebuyck faced 2,155 shots successful 2021-22 earlier erstwhile caput manager Rick Bowness, who retired past May, took implicit successful 2022-23.

The changeable fig dropped to 1,964 that play and fell further to 1,798 successful 2023-24. Hellebuyck has seen 1,534 pucks fired his absorption done 58 games successful Arniel's archetypal campaign.

"We wounded Helly's stats successful the past due to the fact that helium was truthful bully and we played precise loose," Lowry said. "Even the champion goalie successful the world, the champion shooters are going to bushed him sometimes, particularly from unsafe areas. We've truly got a immense buy-in from the radical and are committed to squad defence.

"He's the anchor."

Hellebuyck, who enjoys some sportfishing and hunting successful his spare time, could go the archetypal goaltender to triumph the Hart arsenic NHL MVP since Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens successful 2014-15.

Lowry sees benignant parallels with the netminders.

"The crippled astir looks boring to them," said the seasoned forward.

"It's smooth. It's that interior thrust wherever [Hellebuyck's] moving disconnected the crystal trying to cleanable his movement. I don't expect his aspirations oregon his pursuit of perfection to decrease. It's lone going to proceed to summation until we scope that eventual goal."

"His competitiveness," Arniel added of what stands retired astir the netminder's approach. "His attraction to item astir what helium does each day."

Jets' assurance is 'locked in'

Hellebuyck, who backstopped the United States astatine the 4 Nations Face-Off, said the radical successful beforehand of him is playing with a caller level of content contempt losing successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs the past 2 springs aft failing to suffice altogether successful 2021-22.

"Every crippled is simply a accidental to build," helium said. "We're each playing with a batch of confidence. It's not conscionable stretches of confidence. It's locked in."

Winnipeg is connected way to look Minnesota oregon St. Louis successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs. And if the Jets, whose past heavy post-season tally came erstwhile the franchise made the 2018 Western Conference final, tin get past that test, either Dallas oregon Colorado — chap Central Division heavyweights — volition beryllium waiting.

Laid-back disconnected the crystal and razor-sharp connected it, Hellebuyck's teammates cognize he's acceptable for immoderate situation comes.

"Never satisfied," Lowry said. "Always pushing, ever talks astir winning the Stanley Cup. He's ever looking for antithetic edges, ever looking for antithetic angles.

"That interior propulsion is what motivates him and propels him adjacent further."

Landing different Vezina oregon capturing a archetypal Hart could beryllium successful the cards. Hockey's beatified grail, however, is the sole people successful Hellebuyck's crosshairs.

"The lone happening we privation to achieve," helium said. "Feels similar we're gonna spell retired and get things done."