Threatened with death after leading the US championship... Confession of former NHL Canadian player Hellerbug

North American Ice Hockey League (NHL) goalie Connor Hellerbuck (33, New Jersey Devils), who led his country's United States to victory at the 2026 Milan/Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, revealed the story behind how he requested a trade from his team after suffering threats from Canadian fans.

According to the Associated Press on the 11th (Korean time), in his first interview after moving to New Jersey, Hellerbuck confessed that "there were things that went beyond online death threats" regarding the background to leaving the Winnipeg Jets, a Canadian team last month.

Although he was silent about the details of the damage, he said, "Things that crossed the line happened to my family. It was a moment that solidified my decision to move as a husband and father," and "I had to make the best decision for my family and my career."

The seed of the tragedy was the Olympics held last February.

Hellerbuck played an active role as the starting goalie for the U.S. national team and led the U.S. to winning the gold medal.

However, the team's hometown was Canada, a country that prides itself on being the home of ice hockey and a rival on the ice with the United States.

In the final against Canada, Hellerbuck allowed only 1 point out of 47 shots, leading the U.S. to a 2-1 victory.

Immediately after the Olympics, when Hellerbuck attended a White House event celebrating the U.S. victory, he received fierce criticism from Canadian fans.

Hellerbuck, who became a target of his team's fans even though he did his best for his country, firmly drew the line, saying, "Winning the Olympics is never something to apologize for or speak negatively about."

He then emphasized, “I am aware of the sensitive atmosphere between the United States and Canada, but I am only a hockey player and have never been involved in politics.”

Hellerbuck, who said, "I want to play in Winnipeg for the rest of my life" when signing a 7-year, $59.5 million contract extension with Winnipeg in October 2023, raised his voice and said, "Some people may feel betrayed, but so many things happened during the contract period that I never expected."

However, he expressed his complex affection for the hometown of his former team, saying, "I grew up in Winnipeg and made many connections. I don't want you to think that I don't love that place."