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Connor Hellebuyck to start for Devils in Dallas four days after Jets trade

New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed the goaltender would make his Devils debut against the Stars after one practice with his new team.

NewsJaws DeskEditorial desk

Published 27 Oct 2026, 17:46 GMT2 min read

Exterior of the American Airlines Center in Dallas. — File photograph of the exterior of American Airlines Center in Dallas, taken in 2018. Michael Barera, Dallas November 2018 2 (American Airlines Center) (resized and converted to WebP). CC BY-SA 4.0.Image source Image licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Connor Hellebuyck is set to make his New Jersey Devils debut as the starting goaltender against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, October 27, four days after his trade from Winnipeg, according to the Associated Press. The decision puts him in goal at the start of a three-game road trip after only one practice with his new team.

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed the plan after Tuesday’s morning skate in Dallas. ‘He is going tonight, yes,’ Keefe said, according to the Associated Press. NHL.com reported that Hellebuyck was the first goalie off the ice at the skate, and quoted Keefe saying he felt ready to play.

Hellebuyck’s first Devils start follows a short turnaround

The trade came on Friday, October 23, after the Winnipeg Jets suspended Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp. He had been skating in Michigan before the deal was completed, the Associated Press reported. He joined his new teammates for his first Devils practice on Monday, according to NHL.com.

Hellebuyck told reporters on Saturday that he was eager to return. ‘Sitting at home for so long was getting to me. For myself, I’m just really excited to play hockey again,’ he said, according to the Associated Press. He also said he was excited to fill the role the Devils had brought him in for, on and off the ice.

NHL.com said Hellebuyck had not played an NHL game since Winnipeg’s regular-season finale on April 13. The Dallas start would therefore be his first NHL game in more than six months as well as his first for New Jersey. The announced assignment does not establish how he performed against the Stars.

What the Devils’ road schedule means for his arrival

New Jersey entered Tuesday at 7-4-0 and was beginning a trip that continues at Colorado on Wednesday and Vegas on Friday, NHL.com reported. Keefe said there was no practice time available before the Dallas game. That schedule leaves Hellebuyck moving directly from his first team practice into a planned start, with another game scheduled the following night.

Hellebuyck, 33, spent 11 seasons with Winnipeg and has won the Vezina Trophy three times. He helped the United States win Olympic gold earlier this year. The Associated Press reported that five seasons remain on his seven-year contract, which carries an annual salary cap hit of $8.5 million. His arrival gives New Jersey a decorated goaltender under contract beyond this season, even as Tuesday’s immediate question is how he handles his first game after the long NHL layoff.