Connor Hellebuyck’s path to the American Hockey League (AHL) has been a little different than most goalies.  He played only one year of junior in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Odessa Jackalopes and wasn’t even among the top 35 North American goalies listed in Central Scouting’s final rankings when he was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the fifth round, 130^th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

However, Hellebuyck’s stock has continued to rise, and he is now one of the most promising goaltenders in hockey.

“I was surprised when I got drafted,” said Hellebuyck.  “A couple teams called and conducted interviews so it wasn’t out of nowhere.  It was just a surprise because I wasn’t listed by Central Scouting and didn’t expect it especially because not many kids get drafted from the NAHL.”

The NAHL has built a reputation for being one of the best junior hockey leagues in America and gaining noteriety for developing raw talent in the net.  In the past three seasons, four NAHL goalies have been drafted to the NHL including Anthony Stolarz, Evan Cowley, Chase Perry, and Hellebuyck. 

As one of those goalies, Hellebuyck has something to prove.  “I have always wanted to prove not only to myself but to my teammates that I can be the guy to handle the pressure and do whatever it takes for the team.”

Following his year in Odessa, Hellebuyck committed to play for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell Division 1 hockey team while majoring in business marketing.  He had a phenomenal college career at UMass-Lowell playing two years and winning back to back Hockey East Titles, reaching the Frozen Four, winning back to back Hockey East MVP Honors, and winning the inaugural Mike Richter Award, an honor bestowed to the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Men’s hockey. 

“My favourite memory was winning our first Hockey East Title.  It was dominated by teams from Boston and Maine so it was special for us to finally win it.” Hellebuyck gave credit to his team for all the accomplishments and accolades.  “It was a great coaching staff.  We had an excellent goalie coach in Cam Ellsworth and having a good team in front of me helped.”

Hellebuyck also joined elite goalie company during his time at college.  Dwayne Roloson was the last MVP at UMass-Lowell before Hellebuyck.  Hellebuyck also left UMass-Lowell as the school’s shutout leader surpassing Carter Hutton.  However, Hellebuyck doesn’t compare himself to either goalie.  “I have my own style.  Roloson was a great goalie with his own style and Hutton was the same.  Every goalie has variations from each other.  But to be mentioned in the same breath as those goalies is quite an honor.”

Growing up in Commerce, Michigan, Hellebuyck idolized Olaf Kolzig, who at the time was a member of the Washington Capitals.  “I’ll always remember him in the 1998 playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings.  Being from Michigan I always watched Red Wings games and I remember they always called him ‘Godzilla’.  My goalie coach in St. John’s told Kolzig and that gave him a smile.”

After his second year at UMass-Lowell, Hellebuyck decided to pursue his professional career with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps, before finishing college, and thus forfeited his NCAA eligibility.  “After two great years, I had to look at my career as a whole and think about my next step.  After talking to both teams, it was a very difficult decision but I thought my play was ready for the next level.  I knew it would be challenging mentally and living on my own but it was the next step.” 

The transition from college to pro is a big change for players like Hellebuyck.  “I had to get used to living on my own again, making my own food, being nutritional, and managing my day.”

Fortunate for Hellebuyck, he has had the luxury of receiving guidance and tutelage from veteran goaltender Peter Budaj  who has been with the IceCaps all season.  Budaj played 9 NHL seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens, sharing goaltending duties with the likes of Jose Theodore, Craig Anderson, Brian Elliott, and most recently, Carey Price.  “Peter and I get along great.  Any time something comes up that he thinks he can help me with, he will.  He approaches me with things to think about and I’m not afraid to fire things back at him.  It’s a great relationship to have because he has the experience and has been through so much.  He has so much to offer and I’m not afraid to listen.”

Hellebuyck has had a productive first pro season appearing in 58 of 72 games to date for St. John’s, the most appearances by any goalie in the AHL.  Although he has been a workhorse for St. John’s he has had no problem handling the workload, posting a 28-22-5 record, 2.58 GAA, and 0.921 save percentage. 

“It’s more mentally tough for me because you have to be able to power through the exhausting moments.  If you tell your body you can do it then you can.  In practice you need to work hard to get better but you also need to know when to take a step back and keep your energy at a high.”

Hellebuyck also made his AHL All-Star Classic debut as a rookie.  “It was an awesome experience.  It was all about the fans and giving back to them for being so supportive.  Utica’s fans supported the game really well and treated us nicely throughout our entire time.  At the end of the Classic, we all had a feeling of accomplishment.” 

Hellebuyck loved the atmosphere in Utica during the All-Star Classic but feels it doesn’t compare to St. John’s.  “We pack the house almost every night and our fans are always supporting us no matter what happens.” In the team’s 4-year existence, the Ice Caps had a streak of 120 consecutive sellouts that ended in November.  Only the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins have had a longer streak in AHL history with 144.

In addition to his AHL All-Star Classic appearance, Hellebuyck is one of the top 150 AHL players featured in this year’s AHL-PHPA Upper Deck card set.  “It’s a milestone in my life.  I grew up always collecting hockey cards so it means a lot to me to be included in the set and be featured on an actual Upper Deck card.”  He also sees the importance of being involved in the initiative.  “It’s important for players because it puts their name out there and helps creates a brand image which is important for your hockey career and life after hockey.”

As a young goaltender, Hellebuyck has been inspired by Michael Hutchinson’s play with the Winnipeg Jets.  “It’s always great to see a guy like that who has worked so hard to accomplish great things.  He was great here in St. John’s and everyone speaks so highly of him so I expected him to make an impact at the NHL level.  His story is one to be written in a book.” 

Earlier this season, Hutchinson earned the starting role in Winnipeg after getting off to an impressive start but has since backed up Ondrej Pavelec whose play is helping the Jets push for a playoff spot.  Hutchinson helped the St. John’s Ice Caps reach the Calder Cup final last spring.

Hellebuyck won’t be calling St. John’s his home much longer as the Jets’ AHL affiliate will be moving to Winnipeg for the 2015-16 season.  “We had a team meeting about the move one day before practice as we had heard rumblings about it through social media.” 

As a rookie, Hellebuyck is also guided by Ice Caps Captain and PHPA Player Representative Jason Jaffray, who also sits on the PHPA Executive Committee.  “Whenever an issue comes up, we’ll have a team meeting run by Jason Jaffray.  He does a great job keeping the guys informed.  We also have a group chat for anything union related.  It’s a good system and I’ve learned a lot about playing in a unionized environment.”

Connor Hellebuyck has found success at every level from the NAHL, to the NCAA, and has made an impact in the AHL in only his first pro season.  Look for this trend to continue with him making an impact with the Winnipeg Jets in the future.