The Winnipeg Jets not only defeated the San Jose Sharks last night (Dec. 17) to regain first place in the NHL, but also saw a trio of players set milestones.
Connor, Hellebuyck, & Pionk All Reach Personal Marks
By making 32 saves in the 4-3 win, Connor Hellebuyck became the fastest U.S.-born goaltender to reach 20 wins in a season to break a near century-old record. The Michigan product and reigning Vezina Trophy winner did so in 26 starts, one fewer than Frank Brimsek of the 1938-39 Boston Bruins. Brimsek, nicknamed “Mister Zero,” hailed from Eveleth, Minnesota, home to both the world’s largest authentic hockey stick and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
In the modern NHL, Hellebuyck surpassed Denver product Ben Bishop, who won 20 of his first 28 starts with the 2013-14 Tampa Bay Lightning.
Hellebuyck has 295 wins in his 10-season career and is the favourite to repeat as Vezina winner (which would be the third of his career.) He has been outstanding this season with a 2.15 goals against average, .926 save percentage, and three shutouts; it would be no surprise if he also garnered some Hart Memorial Trophy votes for the NHL’s most valuable player.
By ripping home a third-period power-play marker for his second goal of the game, Kyle Connor tied Blake Wheeler for third place in Atlanta Thrashers/Jets 2.0 history in goals with 262. It took Connor, who has played his entire nine-season career in Winnipeg, 564 games to tie his former teammate and former captain. It took Wheeler, who was not nearly as good of a sniper as Connor was, 897 games over 13 seasons with the Thrashers/Jets to score the same number.
To score 262 goals in fewer than 600 games and in 303 fewer games than Wheeler is a testament to how consistently Connor has lit the lamp in his career. It’s even more impressive considering he also has 263-career assists; he is by no means a one-trick pony when it comes to producing offence.
“I wasn’t aware (of tying Wheeler,) but that’s obviously a pretty special player that I look up to,” Connor said after the game. “I was lucky enough to get to play with him as well and learn a lot from. Yeah it’s a pretty cool milestone for sure.”
Ilya Kovalchuk sits in first place in franchise history with 328 goals in 594-career games over eight seasons with the Thrashers, and first-ever Jets 2.0 draft pick Mark Scheifele sits in second with 314 in 830-career games. It’s likely Scheifele will surpass Kovalchuk later this season and Connor the next.
Defenseman Neal Pionk played in his 500th-career game, which is quite the accomplishment for an undrafted player. The 29-year-old Nebraska product is in his sixth season with the Jets after being acquired as part of the 2019 trade that sent Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers. He has played 399 games for the Jets and 101 for the Rangers, tallying 38 goals and 203 assists for 241 points in that time. He is off to the best offensive start of his career with four goals and 20 assists for 24 points in 33 games.
“It’s a good accomplishment,” Pionk said ahead of the game. “Makes you think about all the tough times you’ve been through. To get to this point is pretty special.” (From “That’s 500 and counting: ignore Jets’ Neal Pionk at your own risk,” Winnipeg Sun, Dec. 18, 2024.)
Related: Jets Have Won Trouba Trade 5 Years Later
The Jets are back in action tonight against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center and will look to sweep their two-game California road trip. Game time is 7 p.m. PST/9 p.m. CT.