A former Frozen Four participant at UMass-Lowell, Hellbucyk did not come to the pro ranks with high expectations. Turning pro in 2014, Hellbucyk cut his teeth in the American Hockey League before he was called up to replace an injured Ondrej Pavelec. He did well, and he was named the Jets’ first-string Goalie in 2016.
Hellbuyck broke out in 2017-18 with a 44-Win season, setting a record for American Goalies. He finished first in Goalie Point shares (14.0) and was the runner-up for the Vezina behind Nashville’s Pekka Rinne. After an exhausting 2018-19, where he was bombarded with a league-leading 2,051 Shots, he was a beast again in 2019-20, winning the Vezina with a 2.57 GAA. His Vezina win was the first by any Jet, and although it is his only to date, he has finished in the top four three times in balloting. Hellebucyk has also been an ironman in between the pipes, having led the NHL in Minutes Played twice, Games Played four times, and having a four-year streak of recording the most Saves (2018-19 to 2021-22).
Two years ago, Hellebucyk had his best season to date, winning his second Vezina and first William M. Jennings Trophy after a year where he had a 2.39 GAA. He had a poor playoff, but the year after was much of the same: a little good and a little bad.
In 2024-25, Hellebucyk was without a doubt the best netminder in the regular season, and nobody was even remotely close. He won his second straight (and third Vezina), and a second William M. Jennings Trophy by posting a league-leading 2.00 GAA. He also led the NHL in Shutouts (8) and Goalie Point Shares (14.5), and for the first time, he won the Hart Trophy. Unfortunately, the bad came in an awful postseason, but he is still by far the best Winnipeg Jet in this incarnation of the team.
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