Morrissey: Sad about Hellebuyck’s trade request, but wants to stay with the Winnipeg Jets

Josh Morrissey said he felt sad when he learned about teammate Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request, but added that it has not changed his desire to stay with the Winnipeg Jets. The two have played their entire NHL careers together, debuting for the Jets in the 2015–16 season.

As NHL.com reports, on August 27 Hellebuyck issued a statement announcing he had privately requested a trade several months earlier. The goaltender is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner (2020, 2024, 2025), received the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player (2025) and last season helped the United States win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

With training camp starting this week, it is still unclear whether Hellebuyck will be part of the team, but Morrissey expressed hope that the relationship between them can improve. He underlined the importance of a goaltender like Hellebuyck, saying that with him the team has a better chance to win every night, yet he cannot predict whether the goaltender will stay or what a trade might look like.

Morrissey stressed that his long-term desire is to remain in Winnipeg: “I like being here, I like being a Jet.” The defenseman still has two seasons left on the eight-year, $50 million contract signed on September 12, 2019, and will be eligible for a new deal starting July 1. He also pointed to Cale Makar’s record contract with Colorado on August 28 as an indicator of the League’s financial health and the rising salary cap, which gives players more flexibility.

Last season Morrissey scored 55 points (14 goals, 41 assists) and averaged 24:43 minutes on ice in 77 games, a career-high average. The 31-year-old holds the club record for Jets/Atlanta Thrashers defensemen in games played (739), assists (334) and points (428), while his 94 goals are second only to Dustin Byfuglien’s 122, per NHL.com.

Source: NHL.com