Connor Hellebuyck Says Family Experienced 'Death Threats' Leading To Trade Request

Connor Hellebuyck said his family experienced 'more than online death threats' in Winnipeg, leading to his 'complex, difficult' decision to ask for a trade. 

Connor Hellebuyck says he doesn't want to to disclose exactly what happened to his family in Winnipeg, but says "it was more than online death threats."

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 10, 2026

He added that there were things that happened to his family in Winnipeg that he feels "crossed the line" and pushed him over the edge to the point of asking for a move.

Well, I’ve alluded to this a little bit. This is a very complex decision and a very difficult one. There’s no one singular moment that wasn’t important in all of this decision-making, and this is over a span of time. I will say, with all the uncertainty I was experiencing, there were some moments and some things that happened to my family that, for me, crossed the line. And as a husband and a father, I felt [it] made that decision very certain that I needed to be a good husband and a good father and do what’s best for my family and my career.

How hard did Hellebuyck try to get a chance to start this game? 

When asked, "How hard did you fight to try to play tonight's game?", Hellebuyck sat for a long pause before deciding on an answer. 

"I'm on a new team... They handle business differently than I'm used to. I went in there and said my piece, I felt it was my duty to play this game... And I had a good conversation with (coach Sheldon Keefe) and (GM) Sunny (Mehta), and I left that meeting understanding where they're at and why they're making that decision and I respect it."

There was one other comment he made that drew some interest. 

Hellebuyck gave up the game with this quote: “On top of some **uncertainty with my career**, I felt that a change in scenery was what was best.” There's so much focus on the family threats, etc. that this sorta just floated by.

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 10, 2026

"On top of some uncertainty with my career, I felt that a change in scenery was what was best.” 

There was no further description of what that "uncertainty" was.