Michael Wilbon doesn’t always talk about hockey, but when he recently did, sparks flew out of his mouth.
During a “Pardon the Interruption” episode, Wilbon was in fiery form when he said his piece about the Winnipeg Jets’ situation with star goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Still one of the best goalies in the NHL, Hellebuyck had privately requested a trade from the Jets months earlier. He publicly confirmed that request on Thursday, opening the door for criticism about his desire to leave Winnipeg amid his dissatisfaction with the team’s outlook.
That stance surely did not sit well with Wilbon.
“Basically, he’s saying, ‘Oh, we need better players.’ Well, then be one of them, dude. Then be better,” Wilbon started. “They gave you the security you wanted, the money you wanted. They rewarded you. You signed the deal. Can you not count from three to eight? You don’t know what that is? Unbelievable.”
PTI did not hold back on Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request.
— Winnipeg Sports Talk (@SportsTalkWPG) August 28, 2026
Mike Wilbon and Frank Isola ripped the Jets goaltender for wanting out of Winnipeg with five years remaining on his contract. pic.twitter.com/arPf1NIoTN
To be precise, Hellebuyck signed a 7-year, $59.5 million contract extension with Winnipeg in 2023. He clearly wants to win, but he’s not seeing that kind of success happening to Winnipeg.
Since signing Hellebuyck to the extension, Winnipeg has been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs twice, but has never made it past the second round. Last season, the Jets failed to make the playoffs with just 35 wins and 82 points.
The 33-year-old netminder posted a 23-23-11 record to go along with a 2.86 goals against average and .895 save percentage in 57 appearances in front of the net in the 2025-26 campaign.
