Hellebuyck signs one-year, $2.25 million contract with Jets

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
Hellebuyck, 24, was scheduled for an arbitration hearing Aug. 1.

"I'm excited for it," Hellebuyck said. "I'm happy to be with the Winnipeg organization again. I think the team is very good and has a very bright future. I'm excited to be a part of that future.
"I wasn't too worried, it's just part of the business side. I would have liked to get a deal done and that's what I did. No one wins in arbitration, so I'm excited to get one done early enough."

Hellebuyck split time with Michael Hutchinson last season. He was 26-19-4 with a 2.89 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and four shutouts in an NHL career high 56 games (53 starts). The Jets allowed 255 goals, fourth-most in the League, and signed unrestricted free agent goalie Steve Mason to a two-year, $8.2 million contract July 1.
"I view it as a good thing," Hellebuyck said. "It's good for the team and it's going to bring the team some confidence in the net. I'm going to learn from him. He's a veteran guy who's been through the ropes. I'm going to take what I can from him. And you know what? It's going to push us both as goalies."
Selected by Winnipeg in the fifth round (No. 130) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Hellebuyck is 39-30-5 with a 2.71 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and six shutouts in 82 NHL games.
"I'm going to every ounce of effort I can on the ice to prove that I belong here and show them that last year was a fluke," Hellebuyck said. "I know I have more to give and I'm going to do that this year and prove it. I got on board with a new agent and a new strength coach, Adam Francilia, out of Kelowna. He's showed me what he has and I've been applying it all summer long. I like it, I think it's going to make me a whole lot more competitive."