Josh Morrissey said he was disappointed to learn of Connor Hellebuyck's trade request but added that it doesn't diminish his desire to remain with the Winnipeg Jets.
Hellebuyck and Morrissey have played their entire 11-season NHL careers together, each having debuted with the Jets in 2015-16.
On Aug. 27, Hellebuyck released a statement saying he had privately requested a trade away from the Jets"several months ago.
Morrissey said he learned of Hellebuyck's trade request at the same time the public did.
"It (stinks) when first and foremost a guy that I've played my whole career with and consider a really good friend feels the need to make a move," Morrissey told reporters at the Jets' golf outing. "Regardless of the details and everything else, I think just on that side of it, it (stinks) because he's such a good friend, we've been together for so long.
“But it's the nature of the business and guys want trades and things like that from time to time. It happened, but there is definitely that sort of personal relationship disappointment there."
Hellebuyck has won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender three times (2020, 2024, 2025), the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player once (2025), and last season, the 33-year-old helped the United States win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Jets open training camp this week, and though it’s unclear if Hellebuyck will be there, Morrissey remains hopeful that the relationship between the two sides can be salvaged.
"Obviously,'Helley' is one of the best, if not the best, goalies in the world, and so having him in our lineup every day certainly. gives us a chance to win every night," Morrissey said.
"But I don't know what that's going to look like. Nobody knows if he's going to be here or not or what a trade would look like, so I can't say it makes us worse or whatever.
That's speculation. Obviously, we hope he's back at some point and playing for us for a long time.
Will Connor Hellebuyck and or Dylan Larkin be traded before the start of the 2026-27 season?
Regardless of what happens with Hellebuyck, Morrissey said he hopes his long-term future is in Winnipeg.
"At the end of the day, I love being here. I love being a Jet," he said.
"That's how I've always felt, and so that doesn't change because of somebody else's decision.
The defenseman has two seasons remaining on the eight-year, $50 million contract ($6.25 million average annual value) he signed on Sept. 12, 2019.
He'll be eligible to sign a new contract on July 1.
Morrissey added that the NHL-record eight-year, $163.2 million contract ($20.4 million AAV) that defenseman Cale Makar signed with the Colorado Avalanche on Aug. 28 shows the financial health of the League.
"Obviously, it's been a good summer and time for the League, for everybody," he said. "The salary cap has gone up, and obviously that provides more flexibility for every player and everyone to benefit, and that obviously means the League is in a really good place.
Deals like that and everything else underneath that has happened, yeah, it's a good time for the NHL.
Morrissey had 55 points (14 goals, 41 assists) while averaging an NHL career-high 24:43 of ice time in 77 games last season.
The 31-year-old is the all-time leader among Jets/Atlanta Thrashers defensemen in games played (739), assists (334) and points (428), and his 94 goals are second to Dustin Byfuglien (122).
