A new poll suggests most Winnipeg-area residents are siding with the Winnipeg Jets in the ongoing dispute with star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, but there’s no clear consensus on how the team should move forward.
The survey, conducted by Liaison Strategies, found 54 per cent of Winnipeg-area residents are more sympathetic to the Jets, compared with 13 per cent who side with Hellebuyck. Another 19 per cent said they are equally sympathetic to both sides, while 10 per cent support neither. The poll followed a briefing on the dispute, including Hellebuyck’s trade request and the team’s response.
Despite stronger support for the organization, respondents remain split on what should happen next.
Among Winnipeg-area residents, 35 per cent support keeping Hellebuyck out of the lineup while continuing to pay him, 31 per cent favour allowing him to return to play while the Jets seek a suitable trade, and another 31 per cent would prefer the team accept the best available trade offer. Just three per cent were undecided.
When the option of returning to the lineup is removed, support shifts toward a trade. In that scenario, 53 per cent favour dealing the veteran netminder, while 42 per cent support a paid holdout.
The poll also found the dispute is drawing far more attention in Manitoba than elsewhere in Canada. More than half of Winnipeg-area respondents say they’ve followed the story closely, compared with just 20 per cent of Canadians nationally.
The survey highlights another divide among local hockey fans. Winnipeg respondents were nearly evenly split on whether teams should prioritize elite talent, even if a player may eventually want to leave, or focus on players committed to staying long term.
Liaison surveyed 1,500 Canadians between October 19 and 20, including an oversample of Manitoba residents and 350 interviews in the Winnipeg metropolitan area.
Source: Liaison poll
