Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, and that’s only the latest bombshell in a trend rocking the NHL: American-born stars are packing their bags and heading south from Canadian teams. This isn’t some quiet whisper in the locker room anymore; it’s a full-blown exodus that’s getting impossible to ignore.
The Great American Migration Is Real
Hellebuyck’s request makes him the third American-born star to demand a trade out of a Canadian team since the middle of last season. Think about that for a second! Before Hellebuyck, we saw Quinn Hughes ask to leave the Vancouver Canucks, and then Brady Tkachuk was outta Ottawa. Brady Tkachuk went straight to the Florida Panthers to link up with his brother Matthew, who had already pulled a similar move from the Calgary Flames back in 2022. It really feels like American players are saying, “I’m out!” whenever they get a chance.
What’s Driving the Southward Trend?
Canadian veteran defenceman Mackenzie Weegar, who spent four seasons with Calgary before getting dealt to the Utah Mammoth, has some serious insight. He called the situation “a bit unfortunate,” and you could feel the weight in that comment, even as he said how much he loved his time in Calgary and playing in Canada. But then he dropped the real talk: American markets can “offer a little more” in certain respects. Weegar’s entering his first full season with Utah, and he’s in the fourth year of that huge eight-year, $50 million contract he signed with Calgary in 2022. He actually struggled a bit after joining the Mammoth last season, only netting one goal and seven points in 19 regular-season games, finishing with a brutal minus-33 rating over 79 games. You gotta wonder if his experience plays into that perspective.
On top of that, the recent success of American hockey has everyone buzzing. When the United States absolutely snatched that Olympic gold medal at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games, with Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews absolutely bossing it for the American squad, that conversation blew up. Matthews still has two years left on his current contract, and you know he’s going to be the player everyone watches as this whole debate just keeps heating up.
Nobody has officially confirmed that market differences or national loyalty are the driving force behind this, but you can’t deny the recent string of trade requests has ignited a fiery debate across the NHL. This conversation isn’t slowing down, and with Auston Matthews still having two years on his current deal, you know every single eye in the league is on what happens next. The conversation around American players and Canadian teams is far from over.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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