Life and sports have always borrowed from the pro wrestling world. There are babyfaces and heels. In this case, when the New Jersey Devils announced they were not starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in his return to Winnipeg Tuesday night against the Jets, the organization became a heel once again as the hockey world exploded with outrage.
?NHL Thought of the Day ?
Connor Hellebuyck Not Starting Winnipeg
For the wrestling fans NJ did what was best for business and went full heel John Cena
#njdevils https://t.co/W0r1TMPJsG— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) November 9, 2026
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That is great heel work and shows they know how to get an emotional reaction from the fan base. Everyone was expecting Connor Hellebuyck to start when the Devils traded for him three weeks ago. However, before the trade, it was just a random Devils-Jets game on a Tuesday night. But once the trade happened, it became must-watch because of the return.
Whether the New Jersey Devils intended it or not, this is great heel work, because in professional wrestling, when the babyface wants to fight in a certain city, the heel teases it but says, “Nope, you don’t get the satisfaction tonight of seeing me wrestle.”
Now this isn’t the New Jersey Devils saying he isn’t worthy of playing in Winnipeg against the Jets. Many will say this is a cowardly act by Hellebuyck and the Devils, not letting him face the music all game long. However, Hellebuyck clearly wanted to play, based on his answers after the Devils’ 5-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday night.
“I mean, I’m disappointed, but I understand,” Hellebuyck said post-game on MSG Networks and NJD.TV. “Selfishly, I want to play, but when you’re looking at the team and what’s best for the team, I understand where they’re coming from.”
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Instead, the New Jersey Devils decided what was best for business, and best for team business was to focus on games in the Eastern Conference, specifically against the Washington Capitals on Thursday and Saturday night, as head coach Sheldon Keefe said post-game in Toronto.
Yeah, I think it’s I think the release kind of speaks for itself and then when you look at it from my perspective as you break it down as the coach first important to say that we had to make it clear to Connor why and give him some understanding is in his words, he really felt it was his duty to go and play and all of that. But look at it from our end of it.Tonight was his third game in six nights. He’s been at this for less than two weeks with us. Then after we finish this road game in Winnipeg, we’re going to go home. Two big divisional games waiting for us. So, I understand the sensitivity to the situation, and if you’re hyperfocused on that game, as the Jets fans would be, understandably.
From our perspective when you zoom out, this is a goalender that is not going to play every single game of the season. You’re always looking for times to give him a night off. And the schedule falling the way that it does, it just made sense. And then as I said in talking with Sunny, it was pretty clear that it wasn’t even really up for discussion because of all those reasons.
You can view the Winnipeg game as a random tag team match on Main Event compared to the big matches on Raw, Smackdown, or even a PPV. Hellebuyck is paid for the big-money games, like Roman Reigns is when he appears in the WWE. Sometimes the champ needs a night off and can’t grace the fans with his presence. However, Hellebuyck will be there, but only to face the Winnipeg media.
The Devils decided Connor Hellebuyck is more valuable to them in those divisional games than in his return to Winnipeg. And if New Jersey isn’t giving fans what they wanted or paid for, it isn’t the first time the organization has “ruined hockey,” to quote John Cena during his heel run of “ruining wrestling.”
But this isn’t the first time the NHL world has said the New Jersey Devils have ruined hockey. Go back to the Stanley Cup years under former GM Lou Lamoriello. NHL insiders called the Devils’ style of play boring and unentertaining, and said the trap set the game back 20 years. But New Jersey won three Stanley Cup Championships in nine years.
As they did back then, the New Jersey Devils embraced being a villain in the NHL. The Devils are taking a lot of flak on social media from fans, but realistically they don’t care. With the team on a winning streak, they aren’t going to ruin it by giving fans in Winnipeg and around the hockey world what they want.
Lots of teams in the NHL are embracing being villains. Look at the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas have done things unconventionally as an expansion franchise. Expansion franchises aren’t supposed to win right away. The Golden Knights go after all the top free agents, and many say it is about the no-state income tax edge, which makes them unlikable to many around the league. But they know they are the Evil Empire now, as they handle business a certain way.
Sometimes, turning heel is best for business. The New Jersey Devils and GM Sunny Mehta did that, and they will embrace it as they did back during their glory years. Mehta is taking a page out of the Dan Lanning playbook on the Connor Hellebuyck situation, saying, “They are about clicks; we are about wins.”
Again, everyone expected a big title fight on free television, but the New Jersey Devils decided fans didn’t need to see it. The New Jersey Devils will get booed from here on out, as opposing fans will accuse them of ruining hockey by not giving Winnipeg fans what they want. However, in their eyes, what’s best for business is not to play Connor Hellebuyck Tuesday night.
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