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Craig Carton defends Devils' decision to sit Connor Hellebuyck for his return to Winnipeg

Team USA hero and New Jersey Devils goalie (still feels odd to say that) Connor Hellebuyck made his highly anticipated return to Winnipeg on Tuesday night, only he wasn't in net.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•1 min read•Updated November 11, 2026, 11:02 PM UTC
Key points
  • "American hero Connor Hellebuyck — one of the great goalies on the planet today — received death threats while playing in Winnipeg." He talked about how this led to Hellebuyck requesting a trade.
  • "I want to say this to you, Connor Hellebuyck: I, Craig Carton, as a proud American, fully support you[1].
  • "They protected an American icon from a lunatic in Winnipeg who might think they're doing what's right for their country by taking out the great American goaltender." The Devils and Jets will meet again later this month, only it will be back in New Jersey.

CRAIG CARTON BASHES CANADA, THEY DON’T DESERVE AMERICAN HERO CONNOR HELLEBUYCK - LISTEN NOW "I am not a fan of hockey, but I am a fan of my country; F— you, Winnipeg," Carton said.

Additional details
  • However, OutKick's Craig Carton said on Wednesday's edition of "The Craig Carton Show" that the team did the right thing by keeping their star netminder off the ice.
  • The move was controversial to say the least, with the Devils GM saying the former Jet wouldn't start because, for some reason, playing a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and former league MVP reduced the team's winning probability.
  • "Connor Hellebuyck is an American icon and an American hero, and he should be treated as such.".
  • "Under an abundance of caution, the New Jersey Devils did the safe and right thing, even if it wasn't the manly thing hockey players would want them to do," he said.
  • And life is good for Connor." Well, it wasn't until that return to Manitoba.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Fox NewsNovember 11, 2026, 11:02 PM UTC →

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