Hellebuyck locked in Attention to detail remains key to success of Jets’ two-time Vezina Trophy winning goalie By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 6:48 PM CDT Thursday, Sep. 26, 2024

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This article was published 26/09/2024 (729 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Connor Hellebuyck has always been a stickler for the details.

That’s been part of the foundation that has allowed the Winnipeg Jets netminder to grow into a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and four-time finalist for the trophy honouring the top goaltender in the NHL.

Hellebuyck, 31, captured the award last season after putting together one of the best seasons of his nine-year NHL career.

Reaching 60 starts for the fifth time in his career, Hellebuyck finished with a 2.39 goals-against average and .921 save percentage to go along with five shutouts and 37 wins, while leading the league in goals-saved above expected (33.1, according to MoneyPuck).

The Stanley Cup playoffs didn’t go as smoothly for Hellebuyck, who allowed 24 goals in five games against the Colorado Avalanche.

There’s no doubt the Jets didn’t play anywhere near well enough defensively in front of him, but when you’re a bona fide No. 1 netminder, raising your game when the team isn’t always at its best comes with the territory.

Following the exit meetings last spring, Hellebuyck spoke of the importance of trying not to put too much pressure on himself and simply doing his part within the team.

With the benefit of a lengthy offseason to organize his thoughts, Hellebuyck decided to stick with what’s working.

“The way that I’ve gotten to where I am today is really digging into myself and doing everything I can, which really helps the team in the long run,” said Hellebuyck.

“I didn’t really do a whole lot of changing or digging or mental (reflection). I just kind of realized what (I’m) doing is right and stick to it. Don’t deviate from the plan I’ve given myself. Just continue to get better every single day at my details and make sure my game is as consistent as possible. That’s going to help this team win.”

Hellebuyck’s impact on the Jets since the organization chose him in the fifth round (130th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft is undeniable.

He’s a true workhorse and he’s constantly been referred to as the backbone of the Jets.

His confidence, coupled with his ability, is something that allows the Jets to play a bit more freely in front of him.

“I feel so much better and I look so much better now than I did a year, or two, three years ago,” said Hellebuyck. “Not letting a couple of bad goals really bother you because you know it’s not you and it’s not your game. If you feel good and mentally you just know you’re going to be good, it’s going to translate on the ice. I think at this point, the mental side is kind of locked in.”

Hellebuyck is always looking for ways to improve and part of his evolution includes his ability to anticipate the play in front of him.

“Not only has my structure become second nature, but I think it’s the mind. It’s the mental game, and the way you read the game,” said Hellebuyck. “I’ve seen a lot of shots and a lot of plays go down, so recognizing what’s going to happen next is becoming more and more second nature.

“So, the biggest thing that I’ve kind of learned is how to recognize instantly and then being able to be ahead of the game and jump ahead a little bit.”

With that in mind, Hellebuyck came to training camp with a plan on what he needed to do to be ready for the regular season opener against the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 9.

That included getting into about two-and-a-half preseason games, something Jets head coach Scott Arniel revealed to reporters after the first day of on-ice sessions.

With only three games to go, Hellebuyck isn’t planning to deviate from that plan — which means he’ll be starting each of them, including Friday night at Xcel Energy Center against the Minnesota Wild.

What are some of the things Hellebuyck has on his checklist?

“I’m looking for my structure,” said Hellebuyck. “How quickly can I get into it and how many times can I repeat getting into the same feeling, the same structure, and the same triggers? That’s been really good right from the get-go, right from the middle of summer.

“Then the next thing I’m looking for is my hands. How are my hands tracking? How are they reacting to pucks? Are they falling back? Are they attacking? Are they sitting in the right spots? Am I getting pieces of pucks that I’m expecting to get pieces of? So far, I have (been).”

Having spent time around Henrik Lundqvist with the New York Rangers, Arniel recognizes the benefit of not needing to worry about his No. 1 goalie, knowing how driven he is to succeed.

“Helly wants to play 82 games and he takes a lot of the responsibility for what happens,” said Arniel, noting he had several discussions with the franchise puck stopper throughout the summer. “We talked about him staying at that level that he’s been at — and winning us games when maybe we shouldn’t (win). That’s just him. He’s done that ever since he’s been in the league.”

With the departure of Laurent Brossoit to the Chicago Blackhawks in free agency, Hellebuyck is going to have a new backup this season in Kaapo Kahkonen or Eric Comrie, who returns to the Jets after spending the past two seasons in the Buffalo Sabres system.

While there’s plenty of familiarity with Comrie, Hellebuyck took the high road when asked about the battle for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.

“They’re both good guys. At this point, just letting it happen. It’s fun to watch,” said Hellebuyck. “I’m here to help in any way I can. End of the day, I’m more focused on myself and getting ready. I know those are two pros over there, they’re going to be doing the same thing. Kind of let the business side of things handle itself.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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