Connor Hellebuyck's Status for Devils vs. Jets Revealed, Goalie's 1st Trip to Winnipeg Since Trade

Connor Hellebuyck will have to wait to go up against his former team for the first time since being traded.

The New Jersey Devils announced Sunday that the goalie won't play against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday despite being "adamant" about playing in his former city.

Hellebuyck spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Winnipeg, but made it clear he was unhappy with how things were going during his exit interview in April.

"From my perspective, complacency is not going to get us moving forward," he told reporters. "So something has got to happen. I'm not going to just sit here and throw every guy under the bus because, honestly, I'm a goalie and I know goaltending really well.

"I can't say, 'Well, this forward did this and that defenceman did that.' That's not my spot. I believe in every guy giving their A-plus effort every single night. As a teammate, I can really rally behind that and really cherish those moments with those guys. But to just put that same product on the ice, I don't think it worked for a reason."

In August, he confirmed that he had requested a trade from the Jets, setting up what would be a messy exit. Hellebuyck was suspended by the team in September after informing the Jets that he would not attend training camp.

The saga ended on Oct. 24 when Winnipeg traded him to Detroit in return for goaltender Nico Daws, forward Dawson Mercer, center Alexander Command, center Nick Bjugstad and two future draft picks.

It surely would have been an emotional return for Hellebuyck, considering all the time he spent with the Jets and the way things ended, but he won't be on the ice in his first game against his former team.

Still, it will be interesting to get more perspective on the situation when he addresses the media.