from Marty Klinkenberg of the Globe and Mail,

“I pulled him five times and he would get mad, but he never lost confidence. Everything he went through prepared him for this season. A year in a goalie’s life can make a huge difference.”

Hellebuyck used the doubt expressed in his ability as motivation in the off-season. He trained hard and came in playing significantly better. He set a league record for American-born goalies with 44 victories in a single season and the stellar play has continued during the playoffs.

The Jets are three wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup final for the first time after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in the first game of Western Conference championship series on Saturday night.

“It has been a long journey,” said Hellebuyck, who turns 25 on May 19. “There has been a lot of hours spent and a lot of working hard. I always knew I was better than I showed [last year].”

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