WINNIPEG — Cramped at a small table inside a tiny room at the Hockey for All Centre on Thursday, Kevin Cheveldayoff faced a wall of TV cameras and reporters, looking exactly like someone boxed into a corner.
He preached patience. He preached process.
He tried to sell the idea of a unified family — minus one, of course. It was a familiar script, only this time even harder to believe.
In other words, it was classic Cheveldayoff: stay the course, trust the leaders in the room and protect the status quo.
By now, you've probably heard that the Winnipeg Jets suspended goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for refusing to report to training camp. It's what we all expected to happen, even if there was still a surreal feeling when the Jets made it official with a social media post Wednesday night, hours after Hellebuyck no-showed for his physical.
Suspending Hellebuyck for missing training camp isn't just a procedural move. It marks both the end of a loving relationship and the continuation of a nasty, ugly breakup, one that started with an exit-interview trade request in April, dragged through the entire summer, and exploded into public view late last month when the two sides hit an impasse.
So, rather than suiting up for a 12th season in Winnipeg, the 33-year-old, three-time Vezina and Hart Trophy winner — who also has five years remaining on a seven-year, $59.5-million contract and a full no-move clause — is sitting at home waiting for a new hockey home.
The Jets are operating in uncharted territory, even if they've faced a similar situation before with the likes of Jacob Trouba, Patrick Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois. This one feels different because it is, and despite Hellebuyck being the best player among the bunch, he is almost surely to fetch the lowest return.
For Cheveldayoff, the clock is ticking. But he's moving at his own pace.
"This isn't necessarily a time thing," Chevaldayoff told me when I asked how long he was willing to play this out. "My obligation is to the Winnipeg Jets, the Winnipeg Jets players and the Winnipeg Jets fans…
I just want to get this right.
He then doubled down on the organization's belief that better days are ahead, despite only months removed from a season the Jets finished seventh in their own division and 26th across the league.
"We are still trying to win," he said."Period."
Cheveldayoff scoffed at the idea of taking back future assets or draft picks in a trade, claiming it would send the wrong message to the veterans who committed to winning in Winnipeg. That's really the crutch of all this, as Cheveldayoff can't afford to move backwards, lest he risk finding another defector.
"If it's future assets that are going to be picked how many years into the future, that's not the message that I'm sending to Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, Dylan Samberg," Cheveldayoff said.
If the Jets are to push for a playoff spot this season, they're going to need a minor miracle, but also their veteran core to step up. Cheveldayoff also pointed to the arrival of Viggo Bjorck, the club's eighth overall pick this year, the arena renovations — including a brand-new dressing room — while still holding hope for one or two prospects to make the jump to the big club.
But even if all of those things come to fruition, the Jets will still have a massive hole in the crease. While Stuart Skinner has the playoff experience the Jets covet, he's nowhere near the talent of Hellebuyck.
Where do the Jets fall in the NHL hierarchy?
They are no longer an elite team, by underlying numbers or the eye test. Last season wasn't an outlier; it was a warning.
Winnipeg free-falled from a Presidents' Trophy high down to a dismal .500 record, all in the span of 12 months, becoming just the fifth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs after finishing first the previous year. Cheveldayoff believes they're closer to the first team than the one they witnessed last year.
But that was with Hellebuyck between the pipes, masking their flaws, as he’s done for the better part of a decade. For years, Cheveldayoff’s entire blueprint seemingly relied on having the world’s best goaltender.
Hellebuyck has helped erase defensive breakdowns, lapses in structure and passive roster building. But with the franchise’s best player explicitly stating he wants nothing to do with this inevitable rebuild, that leaves Cheveldayoff a small fish in a big pond.
It's difficult to criticize Cheveldayoff for demanding top dollar in return for his prize horse, even though he acutely understands the market he's trying to break. You can do that with a top-pairing defenceman or a 200-foot centre, while goalies are usually sold in buyer's markets.
Cheveldayoff admitted as much, noting that true contenders already have their starters and aren't lining up to give up other top talent. The offers across his desk haven't moved the needle, or seem to come even close, but as he said, he's not feeling the pressure of time.
But he should be. When your best player forces his way out, you don't automatically get to dictate terms from a position of strength.
Cheveldayoff has pulled off some magic before — dealing away Trouba, Laine and Dubois for solid returns — only this feels more like a Cirque du Soleil level of negotiating.
Then there’s the really uncomfortable human element to all this. When Hellebuyck's camp made it clear that a trade is the"best path forward for me and my family."
It may have been a direct response to the vitriol and harassment they faced after claiming gold at the Olympics in Milan.
Cheveldayoff said the team took the threats seriously enough to seek out legal counsel, while also requesting additional security and having extra police patrol in areas the players lived. I then noted here that some are content with letting Hellebuyck rot on the sideline, and if Cheveldayoff and the Jets, as good family members, felt any level of responsibility for what's played out?
"Connor Hellebuyck’s part of our family until he’s not part of our family," Cheveldayoff said. "You don’t say,'Well, you’re not my family member anymore.
You find ways to get around it.
Perhaps the most telling part of the day was when Cheveldayoff insisted that the dressing room"has never really been stronger" and that if Hellebuyck was to return he would be welcomed with open arms.
Kyle Connor, Hellebuyck’s close friend and U.S. Olympic teammate, set the record straight.
When asked about a potential return, Connor gave us the straight goods:"Come back as in to come back and just play or come back and recommit to this organization? I think that's the biggest question.
If he just comes back, that's gonna be pretty tough situation to walk into, to be honest.
Connor sounded somewhat defeated, as did Mark Scheifele, both of whom felt heartbroken and blindsided by the news. Connor said his attempts to convince Hellebuyck to return over the summer went nowhere.
Connor was honest about the reality of where his team stands. No use for the typical clichés, the star winger instead challenged his teammates.
"We all know what last year was and how much we need to improve," Connor said. "We never shy away from a challenge.
There's a lot of compete in that room and this situation is no different.
Connor expressed excitement about the team getting"faster and quicker," and praised the smarts of Cole Perfetti, who has been skating on his line with Scheifele. Connor views the holdout as a challenge for the room to step up, rather than a reason to fold.
Speaking of Scheifele, he seemed uncomfortable in comparison, deciding the best way to handle the few minutes he spoke by regurgitating media-trained, otherwise non-answers. Scheifele — who inked an identical deal on the exact same day as Hellebuyck back in October 2023 — repeated variations of"I'm just focused on myself" and"what I can control" nearly a dozen times during his availability.
Asked how he processes his goalie saying this team isn't good enough to compete?"I'm not focused on anyone else but myself."
When asked about replacing the irreplaceable with newly acquired Skinner, Scheifele called him a"fantastic goaltender" and a"great guy," only to add that they haven't skated together much. Skinner is a serviceable, even solid, at times, NHL goaltender, but expecting him to shoulder the same load as Hellebuyck would be better suited for someone who wears a cape for a living.
To his credit, Scheifele took ownership of the team's massive fall in the standings last year, admitting that after going from the top of the mountain to the bottom, every guy in that room needs to show up with a massive chip on their shoulder. But the overall feeling from the team's now-best player was of someone trying to wash his hands of the drama.
This part is most concerning. When a key part of your leadership seems disengaged from the team's reality and your top winger is talking about fractured trust, the dressing room isn't"stronger than ever."
Cheveldayoff can sit in that room and insist it's business as usual. But clinging to the status quo when the ground is caving in beneath you isn't patience — it’s a slow death.
MORE FROM SPORTSNET
‘Want to get this right’: Cheveldayoff not rushing Hellebuyck situation
NHL Power Rankings: How teams stack up heading into training camp