Connor Hellebuyck’s reason for leaving sounds eerily similar to Mitch Marner’s

The Connor Hellebuyck drama on Tuesday offered hockey fans all over a glimpse into the rationale behind the saga that has unfolded this season.

When everything was said and done, Hellebuyck’s reasoning for his desire to leave Winnipeg sounded a lot like what Mitch Marner had to say about wanting to leave Toronto.

Hellebuyck told the media before Tuesday night's Devils-Jets clash that certain things had happened that had crossed the line, in his opinion. And so, he had to prioritize his family and his personal well-being.

“There was some moments and some things that happened to my family that for me crossed the line, and as a husband and a father, I felt made that decision very certain. I needed to be a good husband and good father, and do what’s best for my family and my career.”

That sounds an awful lot like what Marner had to say about Toronto. Marner also cited threats to himself and his family that went beyond anything he was willing to tolerate.

Now, I’m not questioning Hellebuyck or Marner’s word. The last thing I want is to call them liars. But you do have to wonder, that’s two stars in Canadian markets that have mentioned similar things.

If we take things one step further, there was also some speculation that Brady Tkachuk had faced similar shenanigans in Ottawa, prompting him and his family to seek refuge elsewhere.

Now, the Tkachuk situation is worth taking with a grain of salt. He essentially forced the Senators to trade him to Florida. Ottawa didn’t really balk at the idea, especially since they got a decent return in the process.

But could there actually be a pattern developing here? Could Canadian markets have become a little too hot for some stars to handle?

Canadian markets are not easy for stars to handle

There is no question that playing in a Canadian market is not easy. Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver are all major markets with enormous visibility. Other markets like Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Calgary, even with seemingly smaller fan bases, place even more scrutiny on their players.

And that’s something that may become just too much for some stars to handle. Of course, it’s one thing to tack stuff onto a player. That’s actually part of the business for professional athletes. But actually going after their families is clearly stepping over the line.

In that case, Marner, Hellebuyck, and Tkachuk all have a right to use their power to do what’s best for themselves and their loved ones.

It’s also worth pointing out that, while some fans may not like the reality of the situation, you can’t ask a player to jeopardize the stability of their family life for any reason.

Marner actually handled things better than Hellebuyck did

I’ve been one to pour criticism on Marner. I was hardly content with the way things went down. But when looking at this entire Connor Hellebuyck situation, Marner actually handled things much better than Hellebuyck did.

The pressure on Marner started well before the final year of his contract. There were plenty of times when Marner became the scapegoat during those first-round exits. Yet, he honored his contract. He didn’t ask out of town, and even blocked that trade to Carolina.

Now, you could say that he blocked the trade to the Hurricanes because he wanted to go to Vegas. But if Marner was really that desperate to leave Toronto, he could have accepted the deal and then figured something else out once the season was over.

Marner decided he wanted to stay put in Toronto because his family was expecting a child, and uprooting his family at that time would not have been wise.

As a father, I get that.

So, Marner actually did right by the Maple Leafs and opted to depart in free agency. While he was technically traded, that’s not really the point. Marner handled the situation much like John Tavares did. He left the Islanders in 2018 as a free agent. It was his right to sign wherever he wanted, and that’s what he did.

That’s what truly contrasts with Hellebuyck. There were no NHL betting sites or prediction markets that saw the trade request coming. Yes, fans and pundits speculated that he wasn’t happy following the Jets’ awful season last year.

But there really wasn’t any inkling that the three-time Vezina Trophy winner wanted out until news of the trade request became public. The sudden event caught everyone offguard, especially with the Dylan Larkin saga dragging on with no end in sight.

And that’s where this situation really stands. No one could have really envisioned any of this going down the way it did.

It was the trade request that made things all the more unpleasant.

What if Marner has made a trade request?

Let’s assume for a minute that Marner had made a trade request at some point before the summer of 2025. What would that have produced in Toronto?

If his departure via free agency was vilified, it’s almost unfathomable to imagine what a trade request would have done.

There wouldn’t have been any way to envisage how that would have gone down. The betting market, prediction sites, Alberta betting guide, or even Nostradamus wouldn’t have been able to figure out how that could have gone down with fans.

Imagine the Maple Leafs in a situation similar to what happened with Dylan Larkin. Sure, teams would have lined up to make their offers for Marner. But could anyone have paid the price Toronto would have wanted for Marner?

And yes, former GM Brad Treliving did try to move Marner at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. But that was a desperation play in light of the possibility of Marner foregoing a contract extension that summer. As such, Treliving tried to do whatever he could to at least recoup something.

He did, and we are still waiting to see how the return for Marner works out in the end.

Ultimately, the Connor Hellebuyck situation helps put Mitch Marner and his drama in a bit of a different light. Perhaps Maple Leafs fans, with the benefit of hindsight, can look back and cut Marner some slack.

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