Prioritizing long-term conditioning over emotional returns, Sheldon Keefe reveals why the Devils sidelined their star netminder despite his insistence on facing his former Winnipeg teammates.
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe explained the team's decision to sit star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck against his former club, the Winnipeg Jets, on Tuesday. Despite Hellebuyck's strong desire to play, general manager Sunny Mehta opted to rest him to prioritize his long-term conditioning following a heavy workload and an intense travel schedule.
Hellebuyck missed training camp and the preseason, having joined the lineup just two weeks prior after the Devils played four games in six nights. Jake Allen was named the starting goaltender for New Jersey, facing off against former Devils netminder Nico Daws for Winnipeg.
Get the latest sports news and top stories from MySportsTab delivered straight to your inbox.
No spam. Just the latest sports news and updates.
