Waters still murky in uncharted Hellebuyck territory
ST. LOUIS — The thing about being in uncharted waters is that the answer to the next question isn’t always readily apparent above or below the surface.
Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been doing his best to ensure the upcoming two-game road trip against Central Division opponents doesn’t include a three-ring circus. But with news over the weekend that the suspension for goalie Connor Hellebuyck expires Friday, the club has to prepare for the next step in that process.
The problem, as Arniel conceded during his session on Monday afternoon before the team departed for Missouri, is some of the hypotheticals need to be eliminated before a proper response.
“When it comes to Helly’s scenario, honestly I don’t really have a lot of information,” said Arniel. “I know everybody knows (about) Friday. That’s all we know.”
The only way this story changes is if Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff makes a trade before Friday.
“Things will play themselves out, and we’ll have a lot more answers for you… when that time arrives,” said Arniel. “It’s all unknown right now for all of us. Chevy is handling that, he’s dealing with that stuff.”
Contract holdouts are rare and the collective bargaining agreement has changed dramatically since the last one nearly a quarter of a century ago. Arniel did mention 19 days — which appears to be the length of the suspension the Jets were able to tack on to Hellebuyck for failure to report to training camp.
Jets players haven’t been bombarded with questions about Hellebuyck. It’s apparent that his actions haven’t been met with universal approval from his teammates.
“We’re all kind of in the same boat. You hear the news, and all I’m going to say is that we want guys that want to be here,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti. “If he comes back and kind of recommits to the group and shows to us that he wants to be a part of this, I think this group is pretty tight-knit, pretty committed, pretty determined, and more confident. We’re a family in here.
“We have big goals, and aspirations for this season. We know what we want to do, and all we want are guys that want to be committed to that goal with us.”
Arniel also addressed whether Hellebuyck would be welcomed back by those in the dressing room.
“I don’t think our whole group is saying, ‘Oh, we don’t want you.’ There’s some things that have happened on the outside that have probably built that narrative,” said Arniel. “There’s none of us saying that right now. Players are waiting to see, everybody’s waiting, I’m waiting. It’s not us saying we don’t want anything to do with him anymore. We’re really just trying to see how this plays out.”
The timing is interesting as the Jets are getting set for a weekend hockey celebration — the Heritage Classic — that includes the third outdoor game in franchise history.
The Jets roll into St. Louis today with a 4-2-2 record, playing fast-paced, aggressive hockey. They have not let uncertainty get in the way of what has been a strong start.
Arniel credited captain Adam Lowry and the leadership group.
“Really trying not to let the outside noise get in,” said Arniel.
“And it’s a big outside noise.”