During his introductory press conference on October 24th, Connor Hellebuyck was asked if he had a message for Jets fans. He indicated that he had plenty to say, including “I hope they know I care about them,” but wanted to wait until after the Heritage Classic out of respect for the team and the weekend’s celebration of hockey.
A couple of days later, with the Heritage Classic in the rearview mirror, he was asked about it again by media in New Jersey. Once again, he deferred, saying he wanted to let everyone enjoy the week before adding, “We’ll see where we go from there.”
Nine days later, he posted a message titled “Letter to Jets Fans” on his Instagram account:
Based on my assessment of the reaction from Jets fans, plenty of folks seem underwhelmed by the statement. But my feeling is that this is probably the best they’re going to get.
The Devils play a back-to-back this weekend, with the second game coming on November 8th in Toronto. Whether they remain there or travel to Winnipeg on the 9th, it will likely be a day off for the team. Hellebuyck, who will presumably get the start when New Jersey faces Winnipeg, doesn’t traditionally speak following morning skates, so the best opportunity for additional comments may be a few minutes of media availability after the game. Of course, we’ll have to wait until the Devils release their schedule before drawing any conclusions about potential media availability.
And the reality is that it certainly seems as though both the organization and Hellebuyck would prefer to move forward rather than reopen old wounds. There doesn’t appear to be much to gain for either side by revisiting what happened, and based on the schedule, it looks like they may get their wish.
For Jets fans hoping for a more detailed explanation, this letter may ultimately be as much as they’re going to get.
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