Jets' Head Coach Explains Why Connor Hellebuyck Is Undergoing Surgery, Out For Extended Period

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets goalie, makes a save

In an unexpected blow, the Winnipeg Jets will be without their Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for four to six weeks. He'll be undergoing a minor arthroscopic knee procedure.

Breaking: The @NHLJets are shutting down Connor Hellebuyck in order for him undergo a minor Arthroscopic knee procedure. It is anticipated Hellebuyck will be out 4 to 6 weeks.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 21, 2025

Hellebuyck, the NHL's top goalie for the past two seasons, was on pace for his fifth straight campaign of 60+ games, having started 14 of the Jets' first 19 games. But the wear and tear has apparently affected an issue in his knee, and it's something he can no longer play through.

"This was the time to do it."

Scott Arniel with an update on Connor Hellebuyck. pic.twitter.com/7Wd6Pylf7Z
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 21, 2025

Jets say 'now was the time' to shut down Hellebuyck for knee surgery

"This is something that's kind of been nagging at him since training camp, it's something we've kind of known about," said head coach Scott Arniel. "He was trying to play through it… Good days, bad days. It's just something that, the timing's right. 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."

As Arniel also noted, Hellebuyck has been remarkably healthy over the course of his 11-year career. He's started at least 60 games on six occasions, and come very close in another couple of seasons. It's an extreme rarity for a goalie to be such an iron man in the NHL these days, especially one at the very top of the hill, as Hellebuyck has been for so many years.

The 32-year-old has three Vezina Trophies, and Top-3 finishes two other times, plus a 4th-place finish.

This season, he had posted a .913 save percentage and 2.51 goals-against average thus far. Last year, in winning his second straight Vezina, he recorded a league-leading 2.00 GAA and eight shutouts, while missing out on the best Sv% mark by a fraction, at .925. He is the NHL's active career leader in Sv% at .918.

The four-to-six week timeline still allows him time to recover and start in net for Team USA at the Olympics in February.

For the Jets, backup Eric Comrie will now take over as the starting netminder. He is 4-1-0 this season with a .908 save percentage and 2.60 GAA. Winnipeg also recalled Thomas Milic from the Manitoba Moose to serve as Comrie's backup.