Winnipeg Jets star goalie Connor Hellebuyck will miss four to six weeks to undergo a minor Arthroscopic knee procedure, sources close to Hellebuyck told The Athletic.
Hellebuyck went the distance during his last start, stopping 31-of-34 shots he faced against Calgary last Saturday. He also stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout.
Eric Comrie will assume the starter’s role during Hellebuyck’s absence, while the Jets also recalled 22-year-old prospect Thomas Milic in time for Friday’s morning skate.
Hellebuyck, 32, has averaged 60 games played per season since emerging as the Jets’ No. 1 goaltender in 2016-17. This is the first substantial injury he’s faced in his NHL career — a remarkable run of longevity, with Hellebuyck’s 556 games played leading all goaltenders during this time period.
He has missed occasional games to illness — and one when his son was born — but that’s the extent of his absences. Hellebuyck abruptly left one Jets practice at this year’s training camp, telling reporters three days later that he’d gone to a chiropractor to help him with a rib that was out of place.
But this is uncharted territory for the 12-7-0 Jets, and it comes with high stakes. If Hellebuyck misses six weeks, he’ll be sidelined for Winnipeg’s next 20 games.
Comrie, 30, has a 4-1-0 record in five starts this season, including Tuesday’s 5-2 win against Columbus. His career high for games played is 20, while Milic has a 5-2-2 record in the AHL this season but has yet to play his first NHL game.
The Jets hold a playoff spot by virtue of a tiebreaker, having achieved 24 points in fewer games than Chicago and Los Angeles — who hold the Western Conference wild-card spots — and Minnesota, who is on the outside looking in.
Hellebuyck is tied for eighth with 14 games played so far this season, after sharing the league lead with Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2024-25 — a season in which Hellebuyck won his first Hart Trophy, second William Jennings Trophy and third Vezina Trophy. He’s a Tier 1, “world class” goalie in Jessie Granger’s goalie tiers and the top goalie in the NHL Player Tiers (in the “franchise” category).
His numbers are down slightly this season, with his save percentage falling from a career-high .925 in 2024-25 to .913 so far this year, but he’s still among the league leaders in goals saved above expected (GSAx).
Hellebuyck is Team USA’s presumed starter at the 2026 Winter Olympics after playing three of four games for the Americans at the 4 Nations Faceoff. His four- to six-week return timeline places his comeback at the end of December, potentially leaving Olympic participation on the table. Playing in the Olympics was a consideration in getting the procedure done now.
He’s in the second year of a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension.